Data & computing
Data & Computing are cross-cutting MCSC focus areas. Our data focus revolves around the opportunity found in data to manage and develop climate and sustainability solutions. Researchers from all fields are encouraged to contribute to a collaborative data environment where data can be easily discovered and enhanced by modern data fusion and hybrid computing methods and techniques. A mixture of data pools and data warehouse architecture can enable flexibility at scale for heterogeneous datasets. On the computing side, critical framing to our work is that computing and communications are predicted to consume more than 20% of the world’s electricity within the next decade, coupled with a significant impact on materials and chemical use and waste generation. This burden is juxtaposed with the tremendous benefits of computing capability that will be critical to rapidly and broadly decarbonizing energy use and mitigating pressures on planetary boundaries.
Latest News
Considering the Environmental Impacts of Generative AI to Spark Responsible Development
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Ongoing Projects
- The Climate & Sustainability Implications of Generative AI (Bashir, Olivetti)
- Use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) is expanding rapidly, and as with many large-scale technology-induced shifts, its benefits and high demand are taking center stage. While the perceived advantages are vast, neglecting to consider the negative effects alongside these potential benefits can lead to uncontrolled growth with lasting consequences on the environment. A new open access paper by an interdisciplinary team of MIT researchers explores some of the key drivers of this growth and why sustainability considerations for Gen-AI are lacking – ultimately calling for more responsible development of Gen-AI using a comparative benefit-cost evaluation framework. Published as a preprint by MIT Press, “The Climate and Sustainability Implications of Generative AI” highlights how the excitement around Gen-AI is leading to an incomplete consideration of value that ignores the potential costs. The resulting social and environmental impacts require detailed analysis, coordination, innovation, and adoption across diverse stakeholders to steer the direction toward responsible growth.
- MCSC DataHub (Olivetti)
- The DataHub was created to provide centralized access to data and interactive tools related to MIT efforts in the climate and sustainability space. Researchers from all fields are encouraged to contribute to a collaborative data environment where data can be easily discovered and enhanced by modern data fusion and hybrid computing methods and techniques. A mixture of data pools and data warehouse architecture can enable flexibility at scale for heterogeneous datasets.
Contact Us
If you would like more information, please e-mail mcsc@mit.edu.
Who’s studying this
MCSC Impact Fellow