Discussion with Agence Science-Presse about Sustainable AI
Agence Science-Presse, Quebec’s non-profit science news outlet, has published “Rendre sobre l’IA, c’est possible?” by journalist Isabelle Burgun. It is the second of two articles on digital sustainability, and it asks how Quebec can use AI and digital tools while using less energy, water and material.
My main points were:
Providing practical advice that digital professionals and employees can implement. For example, they should choose the right tools for the job (GenAI is not always the solution). They should also mutualize and share tools and software instead of multiplying them and creating duplicates, and when buying equipment, they should choose items that can be repaired.
HEC Montréal, Polytechnique, the Université de Montréal and TÉLUQ have just adopted a guide based on these ideas, created by the NRS Collective.
We also discussed what is missing: data in Quebec.
Both Canada and Quebec lack data on the environmental impact of the digital sector. The first step is to map Quebec's data centres. This has been possible since September 21th, 2026 thanks to the NRS Collective.
However, data on who is leading the cause for more sustainable and responsible digital practices in Quebec was also missing. The new map of organizations (the first of its kind in North America) now lists 38 local organizations covering the following topics:
Environment: emissions, energy, pollution, resources
Social: empowerment, health, accessibility, cohesion, resilience
Economic: employment, integration, circularity
Ethics: diversity, inclusion, equity, justice
The article also features interviews with Leandry Jieutsa (Université de Montréal) on AI in municipalities, and Joël Nadeau (Projet Collectif) on digital commons.
The full article is available in French at: https://www.sciencepresse.qc.ca/actualites-scientifiques/2026/07/13/rendre-sobre-ia-possible
