AI has a growing environmental footprint, but it also offers potentially powerful new ways to understand and address environmental challenges. How might we navigate this complexity responsibly?
One of the seven Proposed Rice Responsible AI Values focuses on Environmental Stewardship. How can we understand the environmental impact of AI, and how can we minimize and mitigate this impact? Conversely, how is AI being used to support environmental research at Rice?
Between September 2026 and May 2027, the new AI and the Environment learning community will convene regularly to explore these and related questions. We invite Rice faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, staff, and alumni to listen to brief talks from Rice experts, participate in open and respectful discussions, build community, and work together to define practical actions we can take to promote environmental stewardship. All are welcome to our kickoff meeting on September 29.
Kickoff Meeting:
- When: Tuesday, September 29 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
- Where: Fondren Library, Kyle Morrow Room (3rd Floor)
- Food: Free tacos! Please RSVP at https://forms.gle/JD8i4KPPkwKY4iQQ9 by Friday, September 25 so we can order enough without creating food waste.
- Drinks: Please bring your own beverage if possible.
Get Involved:
- Join our Google Group at https://groups.google.com/a/rice.edu/g/aienvironment to receive updates, share ideas, and connect with learning community members, even if you can’t make the kickoff meeting. (You’ll need to either be logged into your Rice Google account or hit "the request to join" button.)
- Questions or ideas? Contact Lisa Spiro at lspiro@rice.edu.
Sponsored by the Sustainability Institute and the Center for Environmental Studies, with support from the Rice Living Lab program, the Office of Sustainability, Fondren Library’s Green Team, Research Data Services, and the Technology and Responsibility Program at the School of Engineering and Computing.