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MIT AI Risk Initiative
BackEnvironmental Impacts
Reduced Autonomy/Responsibility
Representational Harms

Environmental Impacts

Social Impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Mitigation Recommendations: An Exploratory Study

Paes, Silveira & Akkari (2023)

SourceDOI
Category
Risk Domain
6Socioeconomic & Environmental
6.6Environmental harm

The development and operation of AI systems causing environmental harm, such as through energy consumption of data centers, or material and carbon footprints associated with AI hardware.

"The production process of these devices requires raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium in such high quantities that the Earth may soon no longer be able to sustain them in sufficient quantities."(p. 524)

Entity: Who or what caused the harm

Human

Due to a decision or action made by humans

AI system

Due to a decision or action made by an AI system

Other

Due to some other reason or is ambiguous

Intent: Whether the harm was intentional or accidental

Intentional

Due to an expected outcome from pursuing a goal

Unintentional

Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal

Other

Without clearly specifying the intentionality

Timing: Whether the risk is pre- or post-deployment

Pre-deployment

Occurring before the AI is deployed

Post-deployment

Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed

Other

Without a clearly specified time of occurrence

Other risks from Paes, Silveira & Akkari (2023) (6)

Bias and discrimination

1.1 Unfair discrimination and misrepresentation
AI systemUnintentionalPost-deployment

Risk of Injury

1.1 Unfair discrimination and misrepresentation
HumanUnintentionalPost-deployment

Data Breach/Privacy & Liberty

1.1 Unfair discrimination and misrepresentation
AI systemUnintentionalPost-deployment

Usurpation of jobs by automation

6.2 Increased inequality and decline in employment quality
HumanIntentionalPost-deployment

Lack of transparency

7.4 Lack of transparency or interpretability
AI systemUnintentionalPost-deployment

Reduced Autonomy/Responsibility

5.2 Loss of human agency and autonomy
OtherUnintentionalPost-deployment