COP31 Initiative Targets AI and Climate Misinformation

Artificial intelligence is growing at a record pace.

New global guidance has been introduced to help ensure that people everywhere can access credible climate change information through artificial intelligence (AI) and understand the technology's environmental impact.

The Priorities for Action on AI and Climate Information Integrity were launched at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on Friday by the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, co-chaired by the United Nations, its scientific agency UNESCO and Brazil.

“The question isn't simply whether AI is good or bad for the climate. It’s whether people can rely on what they’re told by AI and about it,” said Charlotte Scaddan, Information Integrity Senior Advisor at the UN Department of Global Communications.

Focus on facts

As more people turn to AI for climate information, the initiative's co-chairs have highlighted concerns raised by the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, established by the UN General Assembly last year.

The panel has warned that “producing fluent text is easier than producing factual text” for the rapidly developing technology.

The risks can become more serious during climate disasters, when AI-generated images and videos may spread faster than official warnings.

At the same time, the public is increasingly being asked to assess claims about AI's own climate impact without access to sufficient data to understand its environmental footprint.

The new global priorities seek to promote accountability and transparency.

They call on AI companies to assess how their systems affect the integrity of climate information, publish their findings and disclose their energy use and carbon, water and land footprints.

Governments are also urged to incorporate information integrity into their national AI strategies and climate plans.

Grounded in human rights, the action points build on the Belém Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, launched during COP30 in Brazil last year, and the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity.

The initiative's partners have called for greater investment in the information people rely on to understand and respond to climate change.

Germany has so far committed more than $2.2 million to support research, develop communication strategies and conduct public awareness campaigns.

Advertising charter targets climate disinformation

Friday also saw the launch of the Charter for Climate Information Integrity in Advertising, which aims to address issues including the monetisation of disinformation and climate denial.

Jake Dubbins, co-founder of the Conscious Advertising Network, said the charter seeks to promote transparency across the advertising supply chain.

It calls for advertisers to have greater visibility over where their advertisements appear while respecting users' privacy.

COP31 is focused on 10 priority themes, including the transition to clean energy and electrification, zero waste and climate-resilient cities. The conference is scheduled to conclude on 20 November.