AI x Sustainability in relationship with Human Experiences
#Insights
✨Last few months have been particularly exciting as collaborative insights revealed fascinating intersections across AI, Sustainability and the need (still) for Human Experiences - unique to the built & natural environment/our places & spaces. #business, #government and #academia
✨AI for Business Decision-Making
AI x Climate conversations steer towards AI’s consumption of finite resources; e.g. data centre’s have high emissions, water consumption, cement and steel use which utilise significant energy. More attention should be given to AI’s role to improve decision-making and potential for driving human behaviour. Examples: AI can help compute complex ‘sustainability’ issues faster, plan better, support decision-making to drive down risk, ability to predict, ability to invent materials and test - whilst identifying plans to limit waste at each stage.
Sustainability is a literacy issue first and foremost and needs to be seen as core to business values, as a driver of innovation and circular growth.
Sustainability legislation is evolving and open access to data and data reporting is integral to respond effectively. Majority use of AI today, is on supporting decision-making with data analytics, risk analysis, reporting, competency and compliance. Platforms make it easier to communicate results.
AI as a mental model makes assumptions (similar to human intelligence) which must be questioned; asking what was fed and to what extent is therefore relative, is necessary ensuring that data entered is reflective of society otherwise mistakes will compound. AI engineers need support in understanding.
When implementing sustainability in businesses, one key aspect is modifying existing decision-making heuristics, ‘rules of play’. Better access to data allows business to track and measure their impact, identify areas for improvement and communicate their sustainability efforts to stakeholders. Changing heuristics on the other hand, involves rethinking traditional business practices and adopting new, more sustainable approaches where well-being is acknowledged as core to strategy and ops. AI and its intersection with sustainability, in service of planetary well-being makes problem much more difficult.
UK not yet a leader in AI and questions are being asked around how to create an AI sovereign workforce that can help those AI replaces to find jobs.
✨Integrated policy making and value-based reallocation ‘opportunities’
Shifting to value-based, outcomes driven approaches is necessary to drive better decision-making. Whilst AI can support evidence-based factors, policies that are integrated will be essential in supporting meaningful behavioural change driven by AI.
Efficiencies created by using AI as a tool allows new opportunities such as: reallocation of time which can be spent on human aspects, community interactions, people-focused aspects.
We need to re-think our definition of waste beyond by-product and trash – to any loss of actual or potential value. Eliminate waste and emissions, Circulate, products and materials, Regenerate, natural supply sources. Utilise AI enabled data driven platform to capture data and give visibility to otherwise hidden processes.
We cannot reach net zero without thinking about ways to remove carbon as well as removing emissions. AI provides the possibility of doing this intelligently.
✨Craft – Regenerative Materials and Experiential Design
The role of humans in an AI world is important especially in ensuring well-being and a connection to the natural world. Craft is a critical link between traditional processes and modern efficiencies which addresses the need for sensory integration, cultural memory and historic influence revealing hidden dialogues between the built environment, this is noted in the shift in next generation trends post pandemic, which push for slow fashion, ethical processes, time outdoors and reduced screen-times.
Experiences and a sense of human connection is still desired and will continue to be. Existing spaces need to be understood subjectively to create a new dialogue; invisible places; a new system for society which is sensitive to phenomenological factors; light, textures, reflections.
For those interested:
▪Climate and AI - Kings College & Centre for Sustainable Business 🔗 https://www.kcl.ac.uk/climate-sustainability
▪Sustainability LSE - 🔗https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/
▪Carbon Re 🔗 https://carbonre.com/
▪Rimm Sustainability 🔗 https://rimm.io/blog/2025-esg-trends-how-to-stay-ahead-in-a-shifting-sustainability-landscape/
▪Kengo Kuma 🔗 https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/social-series/20241126-224273/ -https://londondesignbiennale.com/sessions/2025/gdf/architectural-alchemy-kengo-kuma-and-leonie-bell-in-conversation-with-will-gompertz https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on/the-craft-of-carpentry-drawing-life-from-japans-forests/
▪Green Alliance 🔗 https://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/08/18/why-responsible-ai-is-everyones-priority/
▪Barclays Climate Ventures https 🔗://home.barclays/our-sustainability-/barclays-approach-to-the-transition/barclays-climate-ventures/
▪Net Positive Labs - 🔗https://www.netpositivelabs.com/ - https://www.netpositivelabs.com/insights/from-literacy-to-leadership-concepcion-galdon-on-building-real-sustainability-capacity
▪CUR8 - 🔗https://www.cur8.earth/ - https://www.cur8.earth/blog/we-will-rock-you
▪Climate Policy Radar - 🔗https://www.climatepolicyradar.org/ - https://climatepolicyradar.notion.site/Climate-Policy-Radar-Public-Product-Roadmap-250fdc6416824160b7b34aef4ef29e1c
▪ReN - 🔗https://www.myrenx.ai/
