AI can be But AI may come with a cost for both people and the planet: Carbon emissions, the mining of precious minerals and electronic waste are only examples for the damaging downside of the AI infrastructure. This downside of AI is yet to be thoroughly assessed, evaluated and balanced. For this purpose, Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe founded the Bonn Sustainable AI Lab in November 2021. This research initiative brings together researchers from various backgrounds to conduct research on ethical challenges of AI in different areas, contributing to a better understanding and assessment of the sustainability of AI from its implementation to its use.

This is the second Sustainable AI conference organized by the Bonn Sustainable AI lab at Bonn University’s Institute for Science and Ethics (IWE). The focus of the first conference in June 2021 was to create a community of researchers in the space of Sustainable AI and to raise awareness on the topic. The second conference will focus on cross cultural perspectives to address the variety and scope of ethical issues on a global scale. An inspiration for this theme is to acknowledge the reality that certain countries play an integral role in the early production phase and the waste management but may never experience the benefits of AI.