for more responsible technology
2025 was a year when I set out to spread the word as far as I could about the impacts of tech in general, and of AI in particular. And I learned a lot more than I preached! Learnings One of the main highlights: speaking at ChangeNOW, one of the world's biggest climate conference, about … Continue reading 2025 Learnings; 2026 Hopes; 2025 Inspirations
87%. That’s how much the emissions of NVIDIA (worth 5 trillion dollars) increased in 2024, as an article from TruthDig is one of the only sources in the world to point out. This means it became the world’s most valuable company by answering soaring demand for AI… whilst doubling its carbon footprint. Not to mention … Continue reading Understanding AI’s true – and ever-increasing – impacts
November 2 update: In what seems like an unexpected move towards responsibility, Character.AI announced October 29 that it would ban access to its platform to under 18s. So, at least in theory, it wouldn't have to deal with any more accusations of causing suicides like that of Sewell Setzer III. But what does this really … Continue reading Could AI Companions harm kids more than social media? (Updated x2)
Last year, at Viva Technology (aka VivaTech), I hosted a round table session for a select few attendees keen to find out more about AI. This year, not only were sustainable AI luminaries Sasha Luccioni (Climate & AI Lead, Hugging Face) and Kate Kallot (Founder & CEO, Amini) invited to speak on 3 different sessions … Continue reading Viva la Sustainable AI, enfin?
This year, a big first: I spoke at ChangeNOW, one of the world's biggest climate events (c. 40,000 visitors/year). On the impact of AI, my fave topic du jour (unless you hadn't noticed). Naturally, I was happy to get my key points across - with the help of ace moderator Kristen Davis (above right) - … Continue reading AI – If not Change NOW, when?
It's news to noone that we're on the brink of climate catastrophe. COP27 was moreorless the letdown it was predicted to be. Former Irish President Mary Robinson even feared that many world leaders there were close to giving up on the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C this century. What's tech got … Continue reading Your tech use impacts the planet. Here’s how to reduce it
Goodbye, 2020! You won't be missed. And as vaccines start to be administered worldwide, we can be reasonably hopeful the crisis will end in 2021. The other good news is that pressure on big tech to be more responsible is not easing up at all, au contraire. Whence these reasons why, this year, technology may … Continue reading How tech *might* get better than ever in 2021
You know how companies tend to say one thing and do the other? When it comes to the environment, this is known as greenwashing; essentially, pretending to be green for good press, then doing the opposite. Like Amazon's leader Jeff Bezos saying initiatives like its wind farms (above) would enable the company to be carbon … Continue reading Big tech is harming the environment; how to stop it
1. Screens now divide rich from poor "Human contact is now a luxury good," asserts this thought-proving New York Times piece. "The wealthy can afford to opt out of having their data and their attention sold as a product," writes Nellie Bowles. "The poor and middle class don’t have the same kind of resources to … Continue reading 4 more reasons to reduce your screen time… after reading this
It's now easier than ever to buy organic food. But what about gadgets? How can we make sure the technological products we choose have minimal impact on the environment, and on others? Whilst no "organic" labels yet exist, there are options. Here are a few. Fairphone: heart in the right place Fairphone, a company founded … Continue reading Can gadgets be ‘organic’?
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