About the Publication
31/01/2025
The promise and peril of deploying artificial intelligence for climate security
Summary
“Climate security” or “climate, peace, and security” has become a prominent policy agenda promoting international peace and security. This comment discusses the potential and challenges of deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to safeguard human security from the adverse impacts of climate change and to enhance climate security interventions.
In this article published in Peace and Sustainability, Kyungmee Kim at the Swedish Defence University, Uppsala University and SIPRI discusses the potential of using AI for climate security.
Key messages
- Artificial intelligence (AI) holds significant promise in addressing climate security concerns, but this will require recognizing and preventing complications and substantial risks that come with this emerging set of machine-learning technologies.
- First, the disparity in AI-related capacities must be recognized by corporations, international organizations, and research institutions who develop and benefit from AI, and they should include a focus on identifying the sources of inequality.
- Secondly, AI developers should make clear connections to policy processes that can benefit from the insights generated for climate security-relevant programming and policies.
- Lastly, when AI tools for climate-related risk management are developed by entities such as international organizations, research institutions, and private companies, close collaboration with local governments and users is essential for using the tools effectively for climate action.
Conclusion
AI may introduce more complications than solutions when dealing with global challenges such as climate change and its security concerns. Reducing human security risks posed by adverse climate impacts is crucial for ensuring peace, and carefully designed AI systems combining machine learning capabilities with human oversight, have the potential to positively contribute to efforts to reduce climate vulnerability and human security risks.
We need to integrate human intelligence and oversight in AI system development, as this is critical to safeguarding human security, equity and justice in climate action.
Citation and funder
Kyungmee Kim (2025). The promise and peril of deploying artificial intelligence for climate security, Peace and Sustainability,
Volume 1, Issue 1,2025, 100002, ISSN 2950-6425,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nerpsj.2025.100002.
This publication is a deliverable of the Mistra Geopolitics programme Phase II, under the theme Foresight and Emerging Technologies. The programme is funded by Mistra, the Swedish foundation for strategic environmental research.
Authors of this publication
