The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) released its Declaration on Sustainable Artificial Intelligence (AI) Infrastructure and Investment, underscoring the business community's commitment to a sustainable AI future.
AI is rapidly transforming economies and societies across the region. It holds immense potential to unlock innovation, drive productivity, and promote inclusive growth. However, none of this works without infrastructure-underpinned by data centers and the electricity grids that support them. The full benefits of AI cannot be realized without resilient, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure to support its development and deployment.
"Energy gaps are deepening inequality and limiting participation in the digital economy. The digital divide isn't just about tech anymore-it's about capital access, grid resilience and human capacity. Our declaration reaffirms our commitment to APEC's 2025 vision of 'Building a Sustainable Tomorrow'," said Jan De Silva, Chair of ABAC's AI and Digital Innovation Working Group.
This meeting took place in advance of APEC's first Digital and AI Ministerial meeting taking place August 4-6 in Incheon, Korea. ABAC has committed to four priority actions:
- Accelerating Investment in Sustainable AI Infrastructure
- Embedding Sustainability into the AI Lifecycle
- Fostering Cross-Economy Collaboration and Investment
- Advocating for Enabling Policies and Standards
"ABAC reaffirms its commitment to shaping an AI-powered future that is not only innovative and inclusive but also sustainable and resilient. We invite governments, industry, academia, and civil society to join us in this shared effort to build responsible AI across the APEC region," said ABAC Chair, HS Cho.
The full declaration can be found here.
