ITU-T SERIES L SUPP 53 PDF

The Supplement is intended to be used for policy-making and business decision-making by governments and enterprises at different scales in various industries. This Supplement achieves three goals.

The first goal is to identify artificial intelligence (AI), AI-enabled, various forms of other emerging technologies and enablers from other emerging technologies taking consideration of regional differences, priorities and industries. By assessing mainstream as well as upcoming technologies in each particular region (with all ITU categorized regions included) most, if not all, of our stakeholders will be relevant to the conversation on technological impacts.

The second goal is to explore the environmental impacts of possible examples of technologies identified through both qualitative and quantitative factors of environmental indicators. The model to help achieve this goal is an adjusted life cycle assessment of a product, which consists of three stages of implementing a technology. The three stages examined in order to connect environmental impacts to identified technology include a) materials; b) use; and c) end-of-life. Although only a few examples of technologies are given in this Supplement, similar analysis and guidelines for implementing the environmental efficiency criteria of other technologies beyond this report can be conducted using the same framework as discussed in clauses 7 and 8 and the appendices.

The third goal is to propose guidelines on implementing environmental efficiency criteria for AI and other emerging technologies at both the macro and micro levels, including 1) data collection strategy prior to implementing guidelines in order to meet localized needs and ensure evidence-based approach for decision making; 2) proposed actions to be implemented at all three environmental stages identified for AI and other emerging technologies in the Supplement; 3) possible actions for other emerging technologies from a technological and environmental perspective; and 4) general guidelines for different stakeholders working in industries related to AI and other emerging technologies.