Sustainability assessment of artificial intelligence society from the viewpoint of critical metals use

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18KT0056
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Global Studies
• Research Institution: National Institute for Environmental Studies
• Principal Investigator: Nansai Keisuke 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 資源循環・廃棄物研究センター, 室長 (80391134)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中島 謙一 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 資源循環・廃棄物研究センター, 主任研究員 (90400457) ; 森岡 涼子 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 農業情報研究センター, 上級研究員 (90415323)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-07-18 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: クリティカルメタル / サプライチェーン / 国際貿易 / 輸入製品

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Existing studies of critical metals have forecast demand from the perspective of new energy technology diffusion, and have not explicitly considered the expansion of artificial intelligence technology. However, there have been forecasting studies on cobalt, lithium, neodymium, etc., which are closely related to artificial intelligence technology from batteries and permanent magnets, in relation to electric vehicles. The relationship between the material flows of critical metals and the SDG indicators showed that they are correlated with the deterioration of a wide range of SDG indicators to the same extent as base metals, which are by far the heaviest in weight. Domestic AI-related industries are dependent on imported electronic circuits and data processing equipment containing critical metals directly and indirectly through domestic supply chains, suggesting the importance of resource efficiency enhancement.

Free Research Field

環境システム学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，国内の人工知能関連産業への需要が国内サプライチェーンを通じて必要とする輸入品を同定し，クリティカルメタルへの依存性の高さを示すとともに，SDGs指標との関係性や貿易の将来変化を展望した。人工知能社会が気候変動対策と同時に展開するには，高い資源生産性が要求されることが示唆され，そのための対策を含めた人工知能普及施策の重要性を提示した意義がある。