Research Summary: Quantifying AI impact in energy transitions: The Energy Justice Impact Assessment (EJIA) framework

A new research paper introduces the Energy Justice Impact Assessment (EJIA) framework to quantify the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in energy transitions. The framework addresses a gap in existing methodologies by providing quantifiable indicators for AI's influence on energy systems, specifically concerning the distribution of benefits and burdens, representation in system design, and decision-making authority, which are critical for energy justice.

Why it matters

The development of a quantifiable framework for assessing AI's impact on energy justice is strategically important for guiding responsible AI deployment in the energy sector. It provides a structured approach to understand and mitigate potential inequities, ensuring that technological advancements contribute to equitable energy transitions rather than exacerbating existing disparities.

Key insights

• AI is increasingly deployed in energy systems for efficiency, supply-demand balancing, and renewable integration.
• AI applications in energy systems change the distribution of benefits and burdens, representation of needs, and influence on decision-making.
• Consequences for energy justice due to AI deployment are rarely quantified.
• A systematic review of 26 peer-reviewed AI impact assessment frameworks found that most address only a single impact dimension.
• Only three of the reviewed frameworks provided quantifiable indicators.
• 21 of the reviewed frameworks referenced justice implications, but lacked comprehensive quantification.

Source

arXiv — Computers and Society — https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.30010