AI and environmental sustainability might not seem like the most obvious pairing, but Pamela Isom is here to prove otherwise. As the founder and CEO of Izabayte Consulting, Pamela has spent her career at the intersection of technology, governance, and safe digital transformation. She joined me for a conversation that opened my eyes to the powerful ways AI can drive sustainability — and the work it takes to make AI itself more sustainable.
Let’s dive into the insights from our discussion. Spoiler alert: AI has a lot more to offer than you might think, but it also comes with a carbon footprint that can’t be ignored.
Watch the full conversation here: AI and Environmental Sustainability
What Does Sustainability Have to Do With AI?
Pamela broke it down simply:
- Advancing Sustainability Goals: AI can be a powerful tool for meeting an organization’s environmental and social objectives. Whether it’s improving climate predictions or optimizing energy use, AI is already making a difference.
- Making AI Itself Sustainable: AI, especially large language models, is energy-intensive. From data center power usage to computing demands, we need to ensure the tools helping us don’t create their own environmental challenges.
As Pamela put it, “Every organization should have sustainability goals, and AI can either help meet those goals or, if used poorly, work against them.”
How AI Is Saving the Planet (Or At Least Trying)
Pamela shared some fascinating examples of AI in action, proving that it’s already an unsung hero in the sustainability space:
- Real-Time Environmental Monitoring: AI-powered models are helping predict weather patterns, track climate shifts, and even detect pollutants in the air and water.
- Search And Rescue Missions: Thermal-imaging drones equipped with AI have been used to locate missing individuals in challenging terrains, saving lives in the process.
- Energy Optimization: AI aids in identifying renewable energy sources and even simulating weather events to evaluate their impact on energy grids. For example, simulating a hurricane’s effects helps communities prepare for and mitigate infrastructure damage.
She’s also excited about using AI to sort through complex research data, identifying actionable insights in areas like renewable energy faster than any human team ever could. “AI lets us cut through the noise and get to the data that matters,” Pamela explained.
The Roadblocks To AI In Sustainability
Despite these incredible possibilities, Pamela acknowledged that not everyone is on board. Here’s what’s holding organizations back:
- Lack Of Awareness: Many leaders don’t see how AI fits into their sustainability strategy.
- Trust Issues: Generative AI’s reputation for “hallucinating” (aka making things up) has some decision-makers doubting its reliability.
- Resource Challenges: Implementing AI solutions takes time, money, and expertise — luxuries not every organization has.
But Pamela is a problem-solver. “Start with education,” she advises. “Help your team understand why sustainability matters to them personally. When people see the value for themselves, they’ll support the broader mission.”
What About AI’s Carbon Footprint?
We can’t talk about sustainability without addressing AI’s own impact on the environment. Pamela didn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth: AI consumes a ton of energy. Training large language models can use as much energy as hundreds of homes over a year. That’s … a lot.
But there are ways to do better:
- Build Smaller Models: Pamela’s AI agents are designed to handle specific, targeted tasks, reducing energy use without sacrificing utility.
- Optimize Prompts: Long prompts eat up more computing resources. Keep it concise and focused for a more sustainable interaction.
- Smarter Data Centers: Transition to renewable energy sources and distribute workloads to off-peak times.
As she explained, “Even small adjustments — like writing efficient prompts — can make a big difference.”
Innovations That Inspire Hope
Despite the challenges, Pamela remains optimistic about the future of AI and sustainability. Some of the innovations she’s most excited about include:
- Climate Resilience Tools: AI is being used to model how extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires impact energy grids, helping communities prepare and respond.
- Accessible Solutions: AI-driven tools like text-to-audio and personalized learning platforms are making sustainable practices more inclusive and actionable for everyone.
“These are the kinds of advancements that make me excited to get up in the morning,” Pamela said with a smile.
What Leaders Can Do Today
For nontechnical leaders wondering how to make an impact, Pamela has some simple but effective advice:
- Ask The Right Questions: When working with vendors, ask how they’re incorporating AI responsibly and sustainably.
- Educate Yourself And Your Team: Sustainability starts with awareness. Invest in understanding how AI can fit into your goals.
- Experiment With Sustainability Prompts: Tools like ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ways to meet sustainability goals — just don’t forget to keep those prompts efficient!
Pamela’s parting words were simple but powerful: “Pick one goal from the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Just one. Then ask: How can AI help me achieve this?”
It’s a great reminder that the intersection of AI and sustainability isn’t just for tech wizards or environmental activists. It’s a space where every leader — and every organization — can make a difference.
Watch the full conversation here: AI and Environmental Sustainability
So, what goal will you tackle? The future of AI and our planet might just depend on it.
Olga V. Mack is a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and a Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat, Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security, and Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities. She is working on three books: Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA 2024), The Rise of Product Lawyers: An Analytical Framework to Systematically Advise Your Clients Throughout the Product Lifecycle (Globe Law and Business 2024), and Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data (Globe Law and Business 2024). You can follow Olga on LinkedIn and Twitter @olgavmack.
The post AI And Environmental Sustainability: Insights From Pamela Isom appeared first on Above the Law.
AI and environmental sustainability might not seem like the most obvious pairing, but Pamela Isom is here to prove otherwise. As the founder and CEO of Izabayte Consulting, Pamela has spent her career at the intersection of technology, governance, and safe digital transformation. She joined me for a conversation that opened my eyes to the powerful ways AI can drive sustainability — and the work it takes to make AI itself more sustainable.
Let’s dive into the insights from our discussion. Spoiler alert: AI has a lot more to offer than you might think, but it also comes with a carbon footprint that can’t be ignored.
Watch the full conversation here: AI and Environmental Sustainability
What Does Sustainability Have to Do With AI?
Pamela broke it down simply:
- Advancing Sustainability Goals: AI can be a powerful tool for meeting an organization’s environmental and social objectives. Whether it’s improving climate predictions or optimizing energy use, AI is already making a difference.
- Making AI Itself Sustainable: AI, especially large language models, is energy-intensive. From data center power usage to computing demands, we need to ensure the tools helping us don’t create their own environmental challenges.
As Pamela put it, “Every organization should have sustainability goals, and AI can either help meet those goals or, if used poorly, work against them.”
How AI Is Saving the Planet (Or At Least Trying)
Pamela shared some fascinating examples of AI in action, proving that it’s already an unsung hero in the sustainability space:
- Real-Time Environmental Monitoring: AI-powered models are helping predict weather patterns, track climate shifts, and even detect pollutants in the air and water.
- Search And Rescue Missions: Thermal-imaging drones equipped with AI have been used to locate missing individuals in challenging terrains, saving lives in the process.
- Energy Optimization: AI aids in identifying renewable energy sources and even simulating weather events to evaluate their impact on energy grids. For example, simulating a hurricane’s effects helps communities prepare for and mitigate infrastructure damage.
She’s also excited about using AI to sort through complex research data, identifying actionable insights in areas like renewable energy faster than any human team ever could. “AI lets us cut through the noise and get to the data that matters,” Pamela explained.
The Roadblocks To AI In Sustainability
Despite these incredible possibilities, Pamela acknowledged that not everyone is on board. Here’s what’s holding organizations back:
- Lack Of Awareness: Many leaders don’t see how AI fits into their sustainability strategy.
- Trust Issues: Generative AI’s reputation for “hallucinating” (aka making things up) has some decision-makers doubting its reliability.
- Resource Challenges: Implementing AI solutions takes time, money, and expertise — luxuries not every organization has.
But Pamela is a problem-solver. “Start with education,” she advises. “Help your team understand why sustainability matters to them personally. When people see the value for themselves, they’ll support the broader mission.”
What About AI’s Carbon Footprint?
We can’t talk about sustainability without addressing AI’s own impact on the environment. Pamela didn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth: AI consumes a ton of energy. Training large language models can use as much energy as hundreds of homes over a year. That’s … a lot.
But there are ways to do better:
- Build Smaller Models: Pamela’s AI agents are designed to handle specific, targeted tasks, reducing energy use without sacrificing utility.
- Optimize Prompts: Long prompts eat up more computing resources. Keep it concise and focused for a more sustainable interaction.
- Smarter Data Centers: Transition to renewable energy sources and distribute workloads to off-peak times.
As she explained, “Even small adjustments — like writing efficient prompts — can make a big difference.”
Innovations That Inspire Hope
Despite the challenges, Pamela remains optimistic about the future of AI and sustainability. Some of the innovations she’s most excited about include:
- Climate Resilience Tools: AI is being used to model how extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires impact energy grids, helping communities prepare and respond.
- Accessible Solutions: AI-driven tools like text-to-audio and personalized learning platforms are making sustainable practices more inclusive and actionable for everyone.
“These are the kinds of advancements that make me excited to get up in the morning,” Pamela said with a smile.
What Leaders Can Do Today
For nontechnical leaders wondering how to make an impact, Pamela has some simple but effective advice:
- Ask The Right Questions: When working with vendors, ask how they’re incorporating AI responsibly and sustainably.
- Educate Yourself And Your Team: Sustainability starts with awareness. Invest in understanding how AI can fit into your goals.
- Experiment With Sustainability Prompts: Tools like ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ways to meet sustainability goals — just don’t forget to keep those prompts efficient!
Pamela’s parting words were simple but powerful: “Pick one goal from the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Just one. Then ask: How can AI help me achieve this?”
It’s a great reminder that the intersection of AI and sustainability isn’t just for tech wizards or environmental activists. It’s a space where every leader — and every organization — can make a difference.
Watch the full conversation here: AI and Environmental Sustainability
So, what goal will you tackle? The future of AI and our planet might just depend on it.
Olga V. Mack is a Fellow at CodeX, The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and a Generative AI Editor at law.MIT. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat, Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security, and Blockchain Value: Transforming Business Models, Society, and Communities. She is working on three books: Visual IQ for Lawyers (ABA 2024), The Rise of Product Lawyers: An Analytical Framework to Systematically Advise Your Clients Throughout the Product Lifecycle (Globe Law and Business 2024), and Legal Operations in the Age of AI and Data (Globe Law and Business 2024). You can follow Olga on LinkedIn and Twitter @olgavmack.
