Can artificial intelligence help us address climate change?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5007/1677-2954.2026.e111144Keywords:
artificial intelligence, climate change, environmental ethics, distributive justiceAbstract
This article examines whether and under what conditions artificial intelligence (AI) can contribute to addressing climate change. It argues that both techno-solutionism and radical skepticism are insufficient without a normative framework capable of assessing ethical, environmental, and distributive costs and benefits. The analysis focuses on three dimensions: AI’s epistemic and operational advantages, the environmental costs of its material infrastructure, and the global power asymmetries shaping its deployment. Drawing on Luciano Floridi’s conception of AI as a minimalist form of agency, the article concludes that AI can support climate action only under conditions that ensure distributive justice and environmental responsibility.
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