The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has brought renewed urgency to questions of climate justice. The massive resource extraction required to build and power data centre infrastructure is having profound impacts on local communities and ecosystems. At the same time, the large-scale monetization of data raises complex political and ethical issues, with far-reaching consequences for democracy, human rights, and the environment.
In this public discussion that took place on November 22nd 2025, Professors Naomi Klein (UBC-V), Stephanie Dick (SFU), Wendy Wong (UBC-O) and Hamish van der Ven (UBC-V) explored questions around the implications of AI for climate justice, the governance of AI and protection of users, and which beneficial models of AI could and should be explored. Moderated by Professor Carol Liao (UBC-V).
About the Centre for Climate Justice
At the CCJ, we work to understand climate change impacts through the lens of social inequity to facilitate systemic change. Through collaborative, interdisciplinary, and community-engaged work, CCJ generates knowledge that supports transformative action.
Learn more: climatejustice.ubc.ca
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