Panel: AI and the Environment—Shaping a Sustainable Future

Explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and environmental stewardship in this panel discussion focused on creating a more sustainable future. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into climate research, conservation efforts, and sustainable design, it also raises urgent questions about energy use, resource demands, and environmental justice. Environmental leaders, technologists, scholars, and community voices come together in this panel to explore both the opportunities and risks of this rapidly evolving landscape.

Khari Johnson is a tech reporter at CalMatters who writes about technology in the public interest. For nearly a decade, Johnson has written about how artificial intelligence impacts people, their communities, and society. He previously worked at WIRED and VentureBeat.

Tamara Kneese directs the Climate, Justice, and Technology program at Data & Society. Her work explores the social and environmental impacts of digital technologies, with past roles at the Green Software Foundation, Intel, and the University of San Francisco. She is the author of Death Glitch and co-author of Notes Toward a Digital Workers' Inquiry. Her writing appears in both academic journals and outlets like Wired and The Verge. Tamara holds a PhD from NYU and her research has been supported by the NSF, Mellon Foundation, and others.

Iris Stewart-Frey is a professor of Environmental Studies & Sciences at Santa Clara University, where she leads the Water and Climate Justice Lab. Her research focuses on how climate change and water systems affect communities and ecosystems, with a strong emphasis on environmental justice. She collaborates with partners in California and Central America on issues like groundwater contamination, climate resilience, and the water impacts of AI data centers. Her work is widely published and supported by agencies such as the EPA and NSF.

Additional panelists will be announced soon.