Sustainable Accessible Artificial Intelligence for developing methods to evaluate and enhance the sustainability of explainable AI across ecological, economic, and societal dimensions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping our world, driving innovation in areas ranging from medicine and industry to environmental protection. Yet, as AI systems become more powerful and complex, their energy consumption and resource requirements also grow—raising important questions about their long-term sustainability. At the same time, ensuring that AI systems remain transparent, explainable, and trustworthy is becoming a key priority for responsible AI development.

The Sustainable zug.KI project, funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, addresses these challenges by exploring how explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) can contribute to sustainability—and how AI itself can be made more sustainable. The project develops innovative methods for assessing the ecological, economic, and social impacts of AI technologies throughout their entire lifecycle, from development and deployment to usage and reuse.

The research combines approaches from machine learning, knowledge representation, and intelligent user interfaces to build AI systems that are both transparent and resource-efficient. A particular focus lies on Interactive Machine Learning (IML), which enables domain experts—such as ecologists—to take an active role in training and improving AI models. Through this human-centered approach, Sustainable zug.KI empowers users to understand, shape, and trust the AI systems they work with.

Within the research area of Computational Sustainability (CS), the project investigates the mutual relationship between sustainability and explainable AI: using XAI methods to advance sustainability goals (XAI for CS), and developing more sustainable AI technologies themselves (CS for XAI). This includes creating interpretable models, measuring the environmental footprint of AI systems, and designing energy-efficient AI processes.

Working closely with national and international partners—including research institutions in Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa—Sustainable zug.KI will also develop practical prototypes, such as interactive tools for acoustic wildlife monitoring. These demonstrators will serve as examples of how AI can be applied responsibly in ecological and sustainability contexts.

By combining foundational AI research with interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge transfer, Sustainable zug.KI contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 14 (Life Below Water) and 15 (Life on Land). The project thus aims to pave the way for a new generation of AI systems that are not only intelligent and explainable—but also sustainable and accessible to all.

Contact:

Hannes Kath, hannes.kath@dfki.de

Christoph Jones, christoph_albert.johns@dfki.de