Research output: Contribution to conference - Without ISBN/ISSN › Abstract › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to conference - Without ISBN/ISSN › Abstract › peer-review
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TY - CONF
T1 - Appropriate AI by Design
T2 - Sustainable AI Conference 2025: Shaping Sustainable AI and its Futures
AU - Stead, Michael
PY - 2025/4/14
Y1 - 2025/4/14
N2 - AI is often promoted as a resource efficient technology which helps mitigate the unsustainable impacts of today’s ever-expanding data-driven ecosystem. However, AI systems are themselves extremely resource hungry, energy inefficient and create huge amounts of CO2 that contribute to digital technology’s growing global footprint. This implicit incongruity calls into question the sustainable trustworthiness of AI. Consequently, there is an urgent need to innovate more sustainable, trustworthy, and responsible futures for these technologies – particularly for energy actors keen to deliver governmental Net Zero promises.Using Schumacher's notion of Appropriate Technologies as a lens, this paper describes the development of a novel, design-led Participatory Futuring approach which helps researcher-practitioners to critically and creatively engage with stakeholders (e.g., technologists, policymakers, citizens) regards AI implementation. Building upon More-than-Human-Centred Design and Systems Thinking techniques, the paper demonstrates how this unique approach can nurture collaborative discursive spaces. Here, stakeholders can work together to co-create alternative, appropriate design pathways that better negotiate the ecological trade-offs and unintended consequences of adopting AI futures.
AB - AI is often promoted as a resource efficient technology which helps mitigate the unsustainable impacts of today’s ever-expanding data-driven ecosystem. However, AI systems are themselves extremely resource hungry, energy inefficient and create huge amounts of CO2 that contribute to digital technology’s growing global footprint. This implicit incongruity calls into question the sustainable trustworthiness of AI. Consequently, there is an urgent need to innovate more sustainable, trustworthy, and responsible futures for these technologies – particularly for energy actors keen to deliver governmental Net Zero promises.Using Schumacher's notion of Appropriate Technologies as a lens, this paper describes the development of a novel, design-led Participatory Futuring approach which helps researcher-practitioners to critically and creatively engage with stakeholders (e.g., technologists, policymakers, citizens) regards AI implementation. Building upon More-than-Human-Centred Design and Systems Thinking techniques, the paper demonstrates how this unique approach can nurture collaborative discursive spaces. Here, stakeholders can work together to co-create alternative, appropriate design pathways that better negotiate the ecological trade-offs and unintended consequences of adopting AI futures.
KW - Artificial Intelligence
KW - Appropriate Technologies
KW - Participatory Futuring
KW - More-than-Human-Centred Design
KW - Sustainable Innovation
M3 - Abstract
Y2 - 16 September 2025 through 18 September 2025
ER -