The Butterfly Effect: Rethinking AI’s Impact on the Planet and Society

AI models begin in lines of code and run in data centers -but their ripple effects touch ecosystems, economies, and livelihoods across the globe. This talk will explore the hidden environmental and societal costs of AI systems—from the carbon footprint of training large-scale models to the broader consequences of automation, bias, and resource consumption. It will make the case for a more intentional, accountable, and ecologically aware approach to AI development— one where efficiency, ethics, and sustainability are built into AI systems from the start.