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AI is Redefining Work and Play. Will it also Redefine Your Brand?

Writer's picture: Namrata NarayanNamrata Narayan

Abstract digital brain with circuit patterns on a blue background. Multicolored squares create a tech-inspired, futuristic feel.
Photo Credit: Steve Johnson/ Unsplash

AI has gone from being futuristic to fully integrated into our daily lives. Generative AI is creating art, analyzing data, and drafting content, from our business plans to social media posts, blogs, and emails. Reasoning Models like DeepSeek are now available to explore large datasets, finding patterns and logic to help make sense of what we want to understand.


In 2025, conversations around AI Agents will multiply. They are here to redefine productivity. Think of AI Agents as digitized assistants. They act on instruction and anticipate patterns and behaviour to complete tasks and make decisions without you.


The Age of AI is exciting and complex for organizations working towards the UN Sustainability Goals, focused on equity, climate justice, and inclusive development. AI holds incredible promise to amplify impact and scale missions but also demands careful consideration. The systems that make our lives easier also rely on massive resources—raw materials, energy, and water—and risk exacerbating existing inequalities without proper governance and practice.


What does embracing AI responsibly look like for organizations working toward a more equitable and sustainable future? To make knowing a bit easier, we've curated a list of articles, organizations, and individuals trying to help us navigate this age of AI with care.



Dive Deeper into AI's Impact


According to DataCamp, DeepSeek is better for in-depth technical research and data analysis, while ChatGPT offers nuanced responses across a broader range of topics, which is why it might be preferred for more creative outputs like visual and written content.


From streamlining workflows to providing scalable solutions in industries like healthcare, education, and logistics, AI Agents are proving to meet demand where we have historically struggled.


UNEP draws our attention to the proliferation of data centers, e-waste, and increased mining of critical minerals for AI chips. One standout statistic? Producing a 2 kg computer requires a staggering 800 kg of raw materials.


The article calls for companies to embrace practices that align innovation with environmental and social justice. It highlights in 2022, Google operated its data center in Finland on 97% carbon-free energy versus only 4–18% for its data centers in Asia. It's


Vox emphasizes AI's massive material and energy demands, with energy being the most critical trade-off. If ChatGPT powered 9 billion daily searches, global electricity use would rise by 10 terawatt-hours annually—enough to power 1.5 million EU residents! It includes a conversation between experts Brian Calvert and Sasha Luccioni, who urge us to move from clueless consumption to informed, greener tech use.


At a granular level, AI appears to have a smaller carbon footprint than humans. According to Nature, AI systems emit 130 to 1500 times less CO2e per page of text generated and 310 to 2900 times less CO2e per image than human creators. 


Data centers consume vast amounts of water to cool the servers powering our AI-driven activities. Newsweek shares eye-opening statistics, such as generating a single AI-generated email uses roughly 18 ounces of water–about the size of a standard bottle of water. For the record, an estimated 376.4 billion emails will be sent per day in 2025. Zoom out and think about other generative AI tasks and the picture gets pretty sobering.


Dr. Joy Buolamwini shares ways AI, unchecked, can perpetuate structural violence and exacerbate inequality. From denying housing to funnelling tenants into polluted areas or unfairly screening out candidates for jobs, education, and organ transplants, unchecked AI risks can deepen inequality. 



Bringing AI's Environmental & Social Impact Out of the Shadows


These are some of the organizations uncovering AI's costs and guiding us toward a more sustainable, ethical future:


  1. Hugging Face: Hugging Face aims to democratize AI and make it more sustainable, empowering developers to make greener decisions.

  2. Green Software Foundation (GSF): GSF sets global standards for sustainable software development, building standards, tools, and resources that can reduce the environmental impact of software.

  3. Green Web Foundation: Green Web Foundation is an independent non-profit helping organizations reduce their digital carbon footprint.

  4. Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI): MAIEI fosters critical conversations about the ethical and environmental implications of AI, bridging gaps between research, policy, and public awareness.

  5. Mozilla Foundation: The Mozilla Foundation champions an open, secure, and equitable internet and works to ensure technology serves humanity responsibly and sustainably.

  6. Algorithmic Justice League (AJL): AJL focuses on highlighting and mitigating bias in AI systems, particularly those that adversely affect marginalized groups.

  7. Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR): DAIR addresses the effects of AI on marginalized groups, focusing on Africa and African immigrants while emphasizing community-based research to ensure AI benefits all segments of society.


The individuals listed make it easier for us to understand and access AI through research and practice. They're also asking business leaders and governments the tough conversations needed to ensure transparency, measurement, and accountability for more sustainable and equitable outcomes to ensure the development, application, and impact of AI across business and society is positive.



Approaching AI with Purpose, Trust, and Responsibility


If your brand values emphasize sustainability and social responsibility, but you deploy AI without intention, your people will be the first to notice the disconnect. When trust begins to erode internally, it's only a matter of time before it's lost entirely.


Take the time to understand the impacts AI is already having across industries. With that knowledge, leadership can engage in meaningful conversations, supported by data and diverse perspectives, to explore a critical question: How do we ensure that AI serves us without compromising who we are or the communities we aim to serve?

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