Can AI Be Ethical? Lessons from 'Atlas of AI' on Justice and Sustainability

The promise of ethical AI has become a central theme in technology discourse. Yet, as Kate Crawford’s Atlas of AI reveals, achieving ethics in AI requires confronting deep-rooted social, environmental, and political challenges.

AI’s environmental footprint, labor practices, and embedded biases cannot be addressed by technical fixes alone. Instead, a holistic approach is necessary — one that integrates data rights, labor equity, and climate responsibility.

The book highlights growing movements advocating for AI justice, including calls for enforceable limits, transparency, and accountability. These efforts recognize that AI’s future depends on collective agency and interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging technology, ethics, policy, and activism.

Ultimately, Crawford’s work urges us to embrace AI’s complexity and act boldly to shape technology that respects human dignity and planetary health. Ethical AI is not just about algorithms but about power, justice, and care.

By engaging with these ideas, stakeholders can foster AI systems that contribute to a just, equitable, and sustainable future.

Sources: ScienceDirect, SCL