This post details the 3 key takeaways from the 5th webinar in Empowering Women in AI webinar series titled “Navigating the Double-Edged Sword of AI and Sustainability” that was held on May 5th, 2025 at 14:00 to 15:00 CET. The Empowering Women in AI webinar series is produced by Connected Women in AI in collaboration with our partners at DTU Skylab, Tuborgfondet and Venzo.
The Triple Layer of Sustainability & AI
Our speakers highlighted that we must consider sustainability through three critical lenses:
- Economic Impact: While AI drives significant economic growth, this is just the beginning of the story
- Environmental Balance: AI offers solutions for reducing emissions, yet we must address its resource consumption, particularly energy for cooling data centers and hardware production
- Social Sustainability: We need to carefully examine AI’s impact on equity, transparency, human rights, and potential reinforcement of biases
Practical Illuminations: AI’s Current Sustainability Impact
Our speakers shared inspiring examples of AI already creating positive change:
- Smart route optimization systems reduce fuel consumption and emissions through AAI-powered weather forecasting and planning
- Environmental impact assessments using AI to provide more holistic ecosystem understanding
- Drone inspections paired with AI analysis extending infrastructure lifespans by hundreds of years, dramatically reducing the need for resource-intensive new construction
- Workflow optimizations that must balance technological efficiency with employee empowerment to avoid creating dependencies that could lead to workforce reduction
The Path Through the Stars
The panel emphasized that AI for sustainability isn’t optional—it’s essential. But success requires intentional direction:
- We need cohesive vision and standards, potentially at a global scale
- Better frameworks for ensuring data integrity and preventing greenwashing
- Recognition that AI won’t deliver sustainability benefits automatically—it requires human wisdom
Like stars guiding ancient travelers, AI can illuminate our path to a sustainable future—but only if we consciously direct its immense power toward preserving our planet for future generations. As one panelist noted, if AI fails to support sustainability, it is because we as humans have failed to properly direct its potential.
What vast potential do you see in AI’s role for sustainability? Is it reducing energy consumption, optimizing supply chains, enhancing climate research, advancing circular economy models, or creating entirely new sustainable innovations? Share your vision or story that lights the way.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Serena Leka, moderator of our webinar series, and to our speakers Marie Refsgaard Holm, ESG Data Advisory | Sustainable Business Development, Olivia Heslinga, Founder of AI for Good Denmark and Mie Hvas, Head of Applied Knowledge & AI at Sund & Bælt.