A new survey of 2,300 global executives published by IT services firm NTT Data provides interesting insights into how C-suites are balancing adoption of AI and corporate sustainability goals. The study addresses questions of balancing innovation and responsibility in terms of “ethics, safety, sustainability and inclusiveness” or “moral responsibility”.
Here’s the headline for you:
“3 in 4 of all respondents say that GenAI ambitions stand in conflict with and/or are negatively affecting sustainability goals, leading many organizations to double down on low-energy solutions as a result of GenAI investment.”
The report isn’t clear about whether “low-energy solutions as a result of GenAI investment” means low-energy AI or broader company-wide energy reduction initiatives.
Notably, more than 1/3 of the respondents (38%) believe that they are faced with “pressure to prioritize profit over responsibility”. These companies cite three main reasons for that:
- Greater need for business growth
- Lack of budget or resources to focus on responsibility
- A lack of perceived risk (such as compliance or ethics)
While not a majority of respondents, that is a still a big number.
Sustainability leaders, staff and advisors – if you face these pressures in your company/clients, face them head on and communicate in those terms rather than in sustainability terms. Members have access to PracticalESG.com tools that can help – like Tips for ESG Professionals on Writing About ESG/Climate/Social Responsibility and guidebooks on Communicating ESG Value and a Practical Methodology for Sustainability ROI. In addition, we’ll soon publish the first keep in a series of guidebooks on the top real examples of sustainability business value for revenue generation, new market development, cost reductions and profit margin improvements.
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