AI x Sustainability: How Young Engineers Are Shaping a Greener Future | Insights with Vincent Aldy Hermawan

By now, the term AI (Artificial Intelligence) is no longer unfamiliar to us. At the same time, sustainability has become a growing concern, especially with conversations surrounding the excessive use of AI and its effects on the environment. Vincent Aldy Hermawan, a Robotics Engineering major, shared his thoughts on the future of technology, and how AI can be utilized as a tool to protect our planet, rather than harm it.

Reducing Environmental Damage

When inquired about how AI can support sustainability, Vincent explained that, “Autonomous systems handle hazardous inspection tasks without human delay.” But why does this matter? Risks such as radiation and factory leaks are major issues that require immediate responses, while humans cannot always react quickly or safely in such environments. However, AI-driven systems are capable of predicting, detecting anomalies, and addressing them in real time.

AI Innovations in Waste Management

While Vincent himself was personally not involved in it, he highlighted a friend’s innovative creation: an environmentally friendly smart autonomous car using machine learning and IoT (Internet of Things). “It carries a trash bin, moves around based on where it’s deployed, collects waste, and separates organic and inorganic trash with a robotic arm,” he described. This kind of solution reflects how AI and robotics can support cleaner cities and smarter waste management systems.

Is AI’s Energy Consumption a Threat to Sustainability?

Critics often argue that the use of AI is unjustified due to the large amounts of energy it consumes. Vincent, however, disagrees with this, opinionating that the rapid development of AI does not conflict with sustainability goals. “The issue might have existed years ago, but the growth of AI has improved it,” he says. “Many projects now use the SDGs as their foundation.” In his view, the trade-off is fair: AI supports cleaner recycling systems and more effective pollution filtering.

The Role of Engineers in Energy-Efficient AI

For Vincent, engineers play a crucial role in reducing the environmental footprint of AI. “Engineers can use lightweight models and pruning to avoid wasteful training cycles, which helps in designing hardware that is more energy-efficient and lasts longer.” With AI evolving at a rapid pace, he feels that young engineers should focus on meaningful innovation. As competition is undeniably increasing, the approach, he notes, is to create something genuinely unique and more useful than existing solutions. Therefore, by evaluating current technologies and improving them, young engineers can push the industry toward better outcomes and more environmentally responsible systems.

As AI continues to grow, so does its potential to support sustainability goals. Through the lens of young engineers like Vincent Aldy Hermawan, it’s clear that technology isn’t just an enemy of the environment, like many claim it to be, but rather a tool that can shape a greener future.