Sberbank deputy head Alexander Vedyakhin: Sberbank started calculating the carbon footprint of AI models 
The use of high technologies and artificial intelligence helps in solving many ESG tasks: minimizing the impact on the environment, ensuring equal rights and accessibility of services for all users, protecting companies and customers from cyber attacks, the ability to collect data and make the most effective decisions based on it, that will make life better. These are the conclusions reached by the participants in the ESG panel discussion at the AI Journey 2021 international conference.
The session moderator, first deputy chairman of the board of Sberbank, Alexander Vedyakhin, noted that Sberbank also successfully uses these technologies to solve environmental and social problems. According to him, Swedish scientists have conducted and published in the journal Nature a study that shows and proves that artificial intelligence can improve the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: in the direction of the environment – by 90 percent, in the direction of social services – 80 percent, and in the direction economy – by 70 percent. These are huge numbers, Vedyakhin emphasized.
At the same time, modern technologies require meaningful use, says Vedyakhin – IT components account for 10 percent of the use of all energy in the world. Sberbank began calculating the carbon footprint of his AI models and expects to show the results of these studies as early as 2022. Economic and carbon efficiency, according to the first deputy head of Sberbank, are closely interconnected and move with one another.
“Nobody knows what will happen in 10 years. The opportunity to think and talk about this, and then leave our discussion with the idea of what we will do in the next decade to make life on Earth better is a big bright question that I invite everyone to think about. As Steve Jobs said, we are in this world in order to make this world a better place, otherwise why are we here, “he concluded.