On 9 July 2026, the G20 Interfaith Forum and the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation organised the first webinar in a series on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the topic AI and the Planet (recording available here), looking at the environmental, social and economic impacts of this rapidly expanding information technology at the planetary level. The following is my contribution on a three-person panel.

The challenge of AI in caring for our planet leads to two more fundamental questions: what role should technology play in addressing such problems and determining our future, and should the motivation in developing a technology like AI be private profit or the public good? Until we address these questions of humanity and governance, the use of AI for managing the Earth system will be marginal at best.

The role of technology

As an environmental scientist specialising in complex systems, and a member of the Bahá'í Faith motivated by spiritual values and a higher human purpose, I see technology as a tool, while deciding on its proper use is a social question that should not be left to developers with narrow interests. Our values and ethical concerns must come first. AI can help to monitor our planetary predicament, but something more is needed to motivate us to change our behaviour and to create the political will to implement the good intentions in so many environmental agreements.

The materialistic view of human consciousness and purpose behind AI ignores the perspective of all Faith traditions that we have a spiritual dimension beyond our physical and intellectual capacities, to love the divine essence (God), to overcome our lower selfish nature and rise to humble selfless service to others, to refine our character, and to show respect and stewardship for the creation, our beautiful and fragile planet. Can we leave our spiritual growth to AI? AI could be taught to recite prayers for us, but what good would that do? AI has no soul.

AI magnifies the reach and impact of social media, designed to be addictive and to reinforce confirmation biases with algorithms trained on our personal data. This gives it the potential to manipulate our beliefs and emotions, whether for political, ideological or commercial ends, with great danger for our systems of governance, public participation, justice and equity, and unity of purpose. Cultivating emotions such as fear, hate, aggressivity, prejudice, and rejection of the “other” is more effective in drawing people in and creating dependence. Violence is newsworthy. The resulting identities are confirmed and reinforced even if they are damaging to society and the environment. The technologies provide a replacement for real social interaction, an alternative to true friendships, a compensation for family failures and social breakdown. In a world where religious traditions are fading or rejected, the resulting vacuum in values and belonging is easily filled by artificial AI replacements. But where does that leave our true humanity?

Just as nuclear science led to both nuclear power and atomic bombs, so can AI open new perspectives for civilisation, or dehumanise us and trap us as passive consumers manipulated for nefarious ends while contributing to the rape of the planet. Both require strengthened global governance to encourage the former and prevent the latter.

The motivation for developing a technology like AI

On the motivation for developing a technology like AI, we must question the present situation where AI innovation is largely monopolised by multinational corporations and similar entities driven by profit and/or the desire for power and political control. They may pay lip service to the public good, but the goal of winning the race to dominance justifies any means. Venture capital is attracted by the potential ultimate returns from such a powerful technology, even if it is far from profitable at the present time.

Furthermore, with the aggressive marketing of AI led by corporate interests without any governance oversight, we could become passive consumers losing all independence and control. AI operates beyond the reach of any national or regional regulation. When the world becomes totally dependent on AI warfare, AI commerce, an AI economy, AI politics, AI entertainment, AI governance and administration, AI exploitation of resources, AI colonisation of space, and everything in between, the AI monopolies will be able to profit from that dependence to charge what they wish and suck out our wealth for the benefit of the few.

On the other hand, there is talk of a giant AI bubble that might burst if the financial returns are not realised. With the fragility of the present economic system maintained by debt everywhere, the consequences could reach far beyond the technology sector itself.

AI has extensive environmental and social impacts that are ignored when developed for short-term economic returns. Data centres have enormous energy consumption and require massive volumes of water for cooling. The present competition between corporate interests to win the infrastructure investment race may duplicate capacities and multiply environmental impacts. Beyond the short term, the massive investment in AI infrastructure will inevitably lead to volumes of electronic waste.

That is the negative side of motivation for profit, which is dominant at the moment. Efforts to regulate AI are strongly resisted, with powerful lobbies, almost unlimited financial resources, and the easy temptation of corruption.

Positive motivations for AI

Information technology including AI has great potential for good. We are facing an explosion of data and information far beyond our human capacity to analyse and utilise it without the new tools now available. In my own environmental field, for example, remote sensing tells us so much more about our planet and our impacts on the Earth system than at the beginning of my scientific career 60 years ago when I had to physically visit coral reefs to observe their condition. AI can extract much more meaning from that imagery. Similarly, medical imagery now tells us so much more than what doctors could see unaided. Chemists can now model new kinds of useful molecules.

From a social perspective, AI gives us the means to achieve the essential unity of the human race in all its diversity. We need a mechanism of world intercommunication embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity, quoting the Bahá’í leadership in 1936. The Internet is already close to that (except perhaps for regularity). That unity must be reflected in our care and management of our planetary ecosystem as our only home.

Part of being human is to be educated for some employment of service to society. Work maintains our human dignity and encourages spiritual growth. AI could support that by undertaking repetitive tasks and bureaucratic procedures, just as industrial technology replaced much physical labour, but this should not create mass unemployment. The wealth so created should be shared with all through reduced working hours with a reasonable income, leaving everyone time for higher social, cultural, humanitarian and spiritual pursuits. AI should not infringe on human creativity and participation in society. Human relationships are too important to be left to technology.

Our relationship with nature also has spiritual as well as material significance. Children need to grow up with some contact with nature, whether gardening, farming, caring for animals, or visiting natural areas. Direct experience of nature can facilitate healing. The beauties and marvels of nature reflect divine qualities that can inspire us. Digital representations do not have the same profound effects on us.

AI governance

Within this framework of essential human values, we need institutions of governance able to encourage the flowering of supportive technologies like AI while regulating their misuse and destructive exploitation. The aim should be public service, not private profit. A reformed or renewed United Nations, responsible not only for peace and security, economic and social development, and human rights, but also for the sustainable management of our Earth System founded on the best science, could legislate for the common good, and rein in the destructive uses of many technologies. We cannot leave private interests, secular ideologies and autocrats free to destroy our planetary home and undermine the peace, love and unity that is our birthright.

There is no technological fix for the environmental crises facing the planet. Complex ecosystems and Earth system processes and cycles are far beyond what any technology or AI can imitate or replicate. The only real solution is to preserve, restore or regenerate what nature has evolved over millions of years to permit life on this planet, and to pass that heritage on to future generations.

We need to ask what kind of civilisation we want going forward, giving priority to human wellbeing both material and spiritual, with respect for the planetary boundaries of the Earth system, and then select those ways that more effective global governance can allow AI to fulfil that vision in moderation.