How sustainable is artificial intelligence? And how can we make it more sustainable and responsible?

Sustainable AI: Challenges, Impacts and Responses

Friday 18 September 2026 | 09:00–16:00

Reed Hall, University of Exeter

Lunch provided

How can we make AI more sustainable and responsible?

AI is increasingly promoted as a powerful tool for tackling environmental challenges, but its rapid expansion also brings significant, and often hidden, environmental impacts through the energy, water, materials and infrastructure required to develop and operate AI systems.

This one-day interdisciplinary workshop brings together researchers, policymakers, technologists, businesses and civil society actors to critically explore the sustainability challenges associated with AI and to consider constructive responses.

Through a series of in-person, panel-led workshops, we will examine how the environmental impacts of AI are defined, debated and governed, and explore the practical and policy challenges involved in developing more transparent, responsible and sustainable approaches to AI.

Interdisciplinary perspectives

The programme features speakers from academia, environmental research and civil society, including:

Dr Carolynne Lord, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Mary Stevens, Friends of the Earth

Jennifer Jones, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, Torridge District and Devon County Councillor

Oliver Hayes, Global Action Plan

Professor Sarah Hartley, University of Exeter

Dr Ernesto Schwartz Marin, University of Exeter

Rory Murphy, University of Exeter

The workshop is organised by the Centre for Responsible Innovation and the Environmental Intelligence CDT at the University of Exeter.

Who should attend?

The event welcomes a wide and interdisciplinary range of academics, researchers, policymakers, technologists, businesses and civil society organisations with an interest in the sustainability of AI technologies and the infrastructures that support them.

Join us at Reed Hall on Friday 18 September 2026 to critically explore the sustainability challenges associated with AI and data centres, and to help shape more responsible responses.

For questions about the workshop, please contact Prof. Sarah Hartley at Sarah.Hartley@exeter.ac.uk or Catie Johnston at C.Johnston@exeter.ac.uk

Description supplied by the event organiser.