The Earth alignment principle for artificial intelligence

Owen Gaffney; Amy Luers; Franklin Carrero-Martinez; Berna Oztekin-Gunaydin; Felix Creutzig; Virginia Dignum; Victor Galaz; Naoko Ishii; Francesca Larosa; Maria Leptin; Ken Takahashi Guevara

doi:10.1038/s41893-025-01536-6

The Earth alignment principle for artificial intelligence

Owen Gaffney^*
, Amy Luers
, Franklin Carrero-Martinez
, Berna Oztekin-Gunaydin
, Felix Creutzig
, Virginia Dignum
, Victor Galaz
, Naoko Ishii
, Francesca Larosa
, Maria Leptin
, Ken Takahashi Guevara

^*Corresponding author for this work

Integr. Assessm. Global Environm. Change

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/Letter to the editor › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

At a time when the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions precipitously, artificial intelligence (AI) brings large opportunities and large risks. To address its uncertain environmental impact, we propose the ‘Earth alignment’ principle to guide AI development and deployment towards planetary stability.

Original language	English
Article number	233
Pages (from-to)	467-469
Number of pages	3
Journal	Nature Sustainability
Volume	8
Issue number	5
Early online date	28 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01536-6
Publication status	Published - 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Springer Nature Limited 2025.

Funding

This paper is an outcome of the 'Global Sustainability and Science Integrity in the Age of Generative AI' workshop convened by the US National Academy of Sciences, Nobel Prize Outreach and Microsoft following the Nobel Prize Summit, Truth, Trust and Hope held in Washington, DC in May 2023. The views expressed in this article are the opinions of the authors and not necessarily the views of their affiliated organizations.

Funders
National Academy of Sciences
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UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

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10.1038/s41893-025-01536-6

s41893-025-01536-6Final published version, 743 KBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

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title = "The Earth alignment principle for artificial intelligence",

abstract = "At a time when the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions precipitously, artificial intelligence (AI) brings large opportunities and large risks. To address its uncertain environmental impact, we propose the {\textquoteleft}Earth alignment{\textquoteright} principle to guide AI development and deployment towards planetary stability.",

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AU - Gaffney, Owen

AU - Luers, Amy

AU - Carrero-Martinez, Franklin

AU - Oztekin-Gunaydin, Berna

AU - Creutzig, Felix

AU - Dignum, Virginia

AU - Galaz, Victor

AU - Ishii, Naoko

AU - Larosa, Francesca

AU - Leptin, Maria

AU - Takahashi Guevara, Ken

PY - 2025

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N2 - At a time when the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions precipitously, artificial intelligence (AI) brings large opportunities and large risks. To address its uncertain environmental impact, we propose the ‘Earth alignment’ principle to guide AI development and deployment towards planetary stability.

AB - At a time when the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions precipitously, artificial intelligence (AI) brings large opportunities and large risks. To address its uncertain environmental impact, we propose the ‘Earth alignment’ principle to guide AI development and deployment towards planetary stability.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105001875601

U2 - 10.1038/s41893-025-01536-6

DO - 10.1038/s41893-025-01536-6

M3 - Comment/Letter to the editor

AN - SCOPUS:105001875601

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EP - 469

JO - Nature Sustainability

JF - Nature Sustainability

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M1 - 233

ER -

The Earth alignment principle for artificial intelligence

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

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