ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A POLLUTANT: LEGAL CONCEPT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND FUTURE REGULATION

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is giving rise to intense debates in the doctrine about its compatibility with the humanist ethics prevailing in Western society. This anthropocentric perspective of the paradigm shift posed by artificial intelligence does not, however, exhaust the line of pernicious consequences that may accompany it. Thus, the environment also emerges as a legal asset to be protected against the phenomenon of this new technology. The enormous amount of energy demanded by some of the artificial intelligence models erodes any energy efficiency objectives that may be set in the field of ICTs. For this reason, the aim of this paper will be to analyze this new challenge that environmental law will have to face sooner rather than later.