Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing: Opportunities, Challenges, and Trade-Offs

​Exact location will be updated closer to the event.

​This workshop welcomes three speakers who work at the intersection of AI and sustainability in materials and manufacturing - Dr. Mark Miodownik (UCL), Dr. Kathrin Greiff (RWTH Aachen), and Dr. Qingshi Tu (UBCV Forestry). Each speaker will speak for 25 mins + Q&A, followed by a short break, then with a roundtable discussion.

​Workshop abstract:

​Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly transforming research and practice across materials science and manufacturing, offering new opportunities to accelerate progress toward sustainability goals. This workshop will explore three emerging applications of AI/ML that support the transition to a more circular and sustainable economy; intelligent systems that improve access to repair options for manufactured products, machine vision for automated waste sorting and recycling, and machine learning approaches that enhance life cycle assessment and sustainability analysis.

​Following these presentations, participants will engage in a roundtable discussion examining a broader question: Does the use of AI and ML ultimately provide a net positive contribution to sustainable development? While AI has the potential to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and support better decision-making, it also carries significant environmental, economic, and societal costs, including increasing energy demands, critical mineral use, and ethical considerations. Framed within the context of the triple bottom line (environmental, economic, and social sustainability) the discussion will consider how researchers, industry, and policymakers can maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing its unintended consequences.