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The Turing Lectures: Making AI Truly Sustainable - Environmental Costs and Social Impacts

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What to expect

What does it truly cost to train an AI model? As systems grow larger and more powerful, the environmental and social impacts of artificial intelligence become impossible to ignore. This public lecture tackles one of the most pressing questions in modern technology: how do we make AI genuinely sustainable?

Dr Sasha Luccioni, Climate Lead at Hugging Face and two-time TED speaker, brings evidence-based insights to this critical conversation. Featured on Business Insider's AI Power List for two consecutive years and recognized by both the BBC's 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide and TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in AI, Luccioni is uniquely positioned to examine the complex web of environmental, economic, and social impacts behind every model trained and every query processed.

This event is part of The Turing Lectures, the flagship public lecture series from The Alan Turing Institute now entering its 10th year. The series brings world-leading thinking in data science and AI to the forefront of national conversation, exploring how AI can bolster resilience across critical domains while addressing the societal implications of its deployment.

What You'll Learn

This lecture goes beyond headline numbers about energy consumption to examine the full lifecycle of AI systems. Luccioni will present solid, actionable steps the AI ecosystem can take towards true sustainability, covering both the environmental costs (carbon emissions, energy grid strain, resource consumption) and the broader social impacts of widespread AI deployment.

Event Format

The evening includes:

  • Arrival refreshments and networking (18:00-19:00)
  • Main lecture and Q&A session (19:00-20:30)
  • Post-lecture networking (20:30-21:00)

Attend in person at the British Library's Knowledge Centre or join via live stream (link emailed on the event day).

Who Should Attend

This lecture is designed for a general audience interested in AI's impact on society, including technologists, policymakers, researchers, students, and anyone concerned about building responsible AI systems. No technical background is required—the focus is on accessible, evidence-based discussion of AI sustainability challenges and solutions.

Hosted by the [Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery

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