Antalya AI Pledge is an Important Start, But Needs Teeth and Must Go Further

ANTALYA, Türkiye —Türkiye today released the text of the Antalya Artificial Intelligence pledge ahead of hosting next month’s U.N. climate conference (COP31), where countries and companies will have the opportunity to sign on.

A statement follows from Julie Cerqueira, Chief Program Officer at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“The rapid growth of A.I. is raising a new set of environmental and existential concerns around the world. The Antalya A.I. pledge is an important start, but it is just the start. Much more work is needed, and it needs to move quickly to keep up with the industry’s rapid-fire development and goldrush mentality.

“The pledge includes voluntary commitments for new reporting on environmental impacts and allocation of infrastructure costs, as well as important support for climate solutions in developing countries. But it lacks meaningful accountability or enforcement mechanisms, leaves companies considerable discretion over what they commit to, and does not establish meaningful participation by affected communities. Those gaps need to be closed. More responsible development will also require addressing the broader impacts, including protecting water supplies, air quality and communities.

“The speed, scale and scope of this challenge is bigger than perhaps anything before it, and the guardrails must be commensurate. The Antalya A.I. pledge is a step in the right direction to address an important piece of the impacts, but needs teeth in order to translate into stronger protections for people and the planet.”

Established in 1970, NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Our team of more than 800 lawyers, policy experts, scientists, economists, and communications specialists work across the United States and around the world, from offices in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Monica, as well as a representative office in Beijing and affiliate offices in New Delhi (through NRDC’s wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, NRDC India Private Limited) and London (through its UK-based partner NRDC International).