Sustainable Business Models with AI – Sustainability of, through and with AI (White Paper)

The reduction of emissions, the use of less resources and an increase in efficiency – Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds lots of potential for developing sustainable business models and optimising existing processes. For example, AI can be a key technology in supporting companies to be environmentally sustainable, socially fair as well as economically successful. At the same time, the high level of energy consumption in the use of AI technologies must be carefully weighed up and, in the long term, either reduced or offset in order to prevent rebound effects. Plattform Lernende Systeme’s Business Model Innovations working group has written a white paper giving an overview of the opportunities and challenges that AI presents for sustainable business models. The authors also propose possible solutions for the reduction of the high level of resource consumption that the training of complex AI models entails. In addition, it gives many practical examples and research projects taken from various fields of application, which show how AI can contribute to sustainable economic and societal development. The experts discuss technological measures to reduce the consumption of resources by AI technologies as potential options, as well as greater data sharing between companies, research institutions and public authorities.