An international pledge to use artificial intelligence for environmental protection is at the center of sharp criticism. The commentary, published by The Verge, compares the initiative to a non-alcoholic beer: a promise that sounds like it has substance, but lacks the essential ingredient. The pledge is closely linked to the UN climate summit COP31, which takes place this month in Antalya, Türkiye.
Negotiators from more than 190 countries are traveling to the summit. The Turkish government presented the so-called Antalya Artificial Intelligence Pledge ahead of the meeting, even before negotiations begin in the Mediterranean city. The declaration frames the use of AI as a contribution to environmental protection. In a photo dated November 9, Murat Kurum, Türkiye's Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and Chris Bowen, Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, stand together in front of the summit's cameras. The joint appearance of both ministers underlines the weight the hosts attach to the initiative.
The core of the criticism concerns the environmental footprint of AI itself. Data centers in which AI models are trained and operated consume large amounts of energy and generate corresponding emissions. The contrast between AI as a climate saver and AI as a growing source of emissions is therefore central to the text. The author sees a contradiction in this: a technology whose own ecological cost is considerable is presented as a solution to the climate crisis, without that cost being clearly addressed in the pledge.
Whether the declaration contains concrete measures to limit this footprint cannot be determined from the wording known so far. The preview mainly describes the general aim of using AI for environmental goals. Commitments on energy efficiency, emission limits or reporting obligations for data centers are not documented in the available information. Further details of the declaration beyond the preview, such as which states will join it or how it is to be implemented, are likewise not known.
The criticism comes at a time when climate diplomacy and technology policy increasingly overlap. The Antalya summit is guided by the question of how the international community can meet its climate goals. AI is discussed both as a tool for forecasting, grid management and resource management, and as a factor that could increase electricity consumption in the future. It is precisely this dual role that, in the commentary's view, makes the pledge vulnerable, because it emphasizes the benefits and largely leaves out the consumption.
The full article is available behind a paywall at The Verge. The information available here is therefore limited to the commentary's central argument, the key facts about the summit and the names of the ministers involved. Further details about the declaration and possible reactions from other delegations are not available.