The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change on Friday launched new guidance on how artificial intelligence (AI) handles climate change information. The initiative released the Priorities for Action on AI and Climate Information Integrity at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye. The United Nations, its scientific agency UNESCO and Brazil co-chair the initiative.
According to UN News, the guidance is meant to help people everywhere get credible climate information from AI and understand how the technology affects the environment. “The question isn’t simply whether AI is good or bad for the climate. It’s whether people can rely on what they’re told by AI and about it,” said Charlotte Scaddan, Information Integrity Senior Advisor, UN Global Communications.
UN News reported that more people are turning to AI for climate information. The co-chairs noted that the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which the UN General Assembly set up last year, has warned that making fluent text is easier than making factual text. UN News also reported that risks can grow during climate disasters, when AI-generated images and videos can spread faster than official warnings. It added that the public is asked to accept claims about AI’s own climate impact without the data needed to evaluate it.
The Priorities call on AI companies to assess how their systems affect the integrity of climate information and to publish their findings. They also call on the companies to disclose their energy use and their carbon, water and land footprints. States are urged to build information integrity into national AI strategies and climate plans.
The document is grounded in human rights. It builds on the Belém Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, launched at COP30 last year in Brazil, and on the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity.
The partners in the initiative called for more investment in the information people use to understand and act on climate change. Germany has so far committed more than $2.2 million to support research, develop communication strategies and carry out public awareness campaigns.
Also on Friday, the Charter for Climate Information Integrity in Advertising was launched. Jake Dubbins, co-founder of the Conscious Advertising Network, said it seeks to address problems such as “monetization of disinformation and denial.” The charter calls for transparency across the advertising supply chain so advertisers can see where their ads are placed, while respecting user privacy.
COP31 is focused on 10 priority themes, including clean energy transition and electrification, zero waste and climate-resilient cities. The conference ends on Nov. 20.