{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7160660062","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","title":"From Cradle to Cloud: A Life Cycle Review of AI's Environmental Footprint","display_name":"From Cradle to Cloud: A Life Cycle Review of AI's Environmental Footprint","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-05-06","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7160660062","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135717421","display_name":"Katherine Lambert","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Lambert, Katherine","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135700640","display_name":"Sasha Luccioni","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Luccioni, Sasha","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12238","display_name":"Green IT and Sustainability","score":0.5769000053405762,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2208","display_name":"Electrical and Electronic Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12238","display_name":"Green IT and Sustainability","score":0.5769000053405762,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2208","display_name":"Electrical and Electronic Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.03999999910593033,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12017","display_name":"Recycling and Waste Management Techniques","score":0.035100001841783524,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2311","display_name":"Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/23","display_name":"Environmental Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-deployment","display_name":"Software deployment","score":0.6396999955177307},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scale","display_name":"Scale (ratio)","score":0.5044000148773193},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/life-cycle-assessment","display_name":"Life-cycle assessment","score":0.491100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/ecological-footprint","display_name":"Ecological footprint","score":0.4474000036716461},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/environmental-data","display_name":"Environmental data","score":0.43549999594688416},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/aggregate","display_name":"Aggregate (composite)","score":0.41620001196861267},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/order","display_name":"Order (exchange)","score":0.41339999437332153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/environmental-impact-assessment","display_name":"Environmental impact assessment","score":0.3544999957084656}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105339364","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2297740","display_name":"Software deployment","level":2,"score":0.6396999955177307},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778755073","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10858537","display_name":"Scale (ratio)","level":2,"score":0.5044000148773193},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778706760","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q581950","display_name":"Life-cycle assessment","level":3,"score":0.491100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2522767166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2374463","display_name":"Data science","level":1,"score":0.4772999882698059},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.4772000014781952},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C83516724","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q234173","display_name":"Ecological footprint","level":3,"score":0.4474000036716461},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776356880","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5381206","display_name":"Environmental data","level":2,"score":0.43549999594688416},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C4679612","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q866298","display_name":"Aggregate (composite)","level":2,"score":0.41620001196861267},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C182306322","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1779371","display_name":"Order (exchange)","level":2,"score":0.41339999437332153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107826830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q929380","display_name":"Environmental resource management","level":1,"score":0.38589999079704285},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C164749845","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q320389","display_name":"Environmental impact assessment","level":2,"score":0.3544999957084656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112930515","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4389547","display_name":"Risk analysis (engineering)","level":1,"score":0.3504999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C192209626","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190909","display_name":"Focus (optics)","level":2,"score":0.34950000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66204764","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q219416","display_name":"Sustainability","level":2,"score":0.3140000104904175},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C42475967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q194292","display_name":"Operations research","level":1,"score":0.3138999938964844},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C91375879","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15473274","display_name":"Environmental planning","level":1,"score":0.30880001187324524},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C539667460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2414942","display_name":"Management science","level":1,"score":0.30649998784065247},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778058735","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4692253","display_name":"Aggregate data","level":2,"score":0.30640000104904175},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C132943942","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2562511","display_name":"Footprint","level":2,"score":0.30230000615119934},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133462117","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4929239","display_name":"Data collection","level":2,"score":0.29109999537467957},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39432304","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188847","display_name":"Environmental science","level":0,"score":0.2858000099658966},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.28439998626708984},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2993443034","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188847","display_name":"Environmental research","level":2,"score":0.27410000562667847},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149207113","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26534","display_name":"Water use","level":2,"score":0.26669999957084656},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C168167062","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1117970","display_name":"Component (thermodynamics)","level":2,"score":0.2655999958515167},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C18762648","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42213","display_name":"Work (physics)","level":2,"score":0.2529999911785126}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.05416","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"Responsible consumption and production","score":0.5421613454818726,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/12"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"The":[0],"rapid":[1],"growth":[2],"in":[3,130],"the":[4,36,101,108,117],"deployment":[5],"and":[6,30,59,83,92,107,150,161,188,198,209,217],"scale":[7],"of":[8,28,56,66,132,220],"modern":[9],"artificial":[10],"intelligence":[11],"(AI)":[12],"systems":[13],"has":[14],"intensified":[15],"concerns":[16],"regarding":[17],"their":[18],"environmental":[19,68,222],"impacts,":[20],"yet":[21],"we":[22,49,94,119,206],"still":[23],"lack":[24],"a":[25,51],"comprehensive":[26,53],"view":[27],"where":[29],"how":[31],"these":[32,204],"impacts":[33],"arise":[34],"across":[35],"AI":[37],"life":[38,73,124,190],"cycle.":[39],"In":[40],"order":[41],"to":[42,183,196,212],"shed":[43],"more":[44,214],"light":[45],"on":[46,147,172,203],"this":[47],"question,":[48],"conduct":[50],"structured,":[52],"literature":[54],"review":[55],"scientific":[57],"papers":[58],"technical":[60],"reports":[61],"that":[62,122,167],"examine":[63],"different":[64],"aspects":[65],"AI's":[67,221],"footprint.":[69],"Using":[70],"an":[71],"eight-stage":[72],"cycle":[74,125,191],"framework,":[75],"spanning":[76],"hardware":[77],"manufacturing,":[78,187],"infrastructure":[79],"construction,":[80],"data":[81,158],"gathering":[82],"preprocessing,":[84],"model":[85,148],"experimentation,":[86],"training,":[87],"post-training":[88],"adaptation,":[89],"deployment,":[90],"inference,":[91,151],"end-of-life,":[93],"systematically":[95],"map":[96],"which":[97],"stages":[98],"are":[99],"covered,":[100],"metrics":[102],"reported":[103],"at":[104],"each":[105],"stage,":[106],"methodological":[109],"choices":[110],"made.":[111],"We":[112,164],"then":[113],"draw":[114],"conclusions":[115],"about":[116],"information":[118],"gathered,":[120],"finding":[121],"although":[123],"language":[126],"is":[127],"increasingly":[128],"common":[129],"discussions":[131],"\"green\"":[133],"or":[134],"\"sustainable\"":[135],"AI,":[136],"its":[137],"definition":[138],"remains":[139],"unclear":[140],"--":[141],"while":[142],"some":[143],"studies":[144],"focus":[145],"solely":[146],"training":[149],"others":[152],"encompass":[153],"broader":[154],"measurements":[155],"such":[156],"as":[157],"collection,":[159],"infrastructure,":[160],"embodied":[162],"emissions.":[163],"also":[165],"find":[166],"reporting":[168,210],"practices":[169],"rely":[170],"predominantly":[171],"CO2e":[173],"estimates":[174],"derived":[175],"from":[176],"coarse":[177],"proxies,":[178],"with":[179],"limited":[180],"attention":[181],"dedicated":[182],"water":[184],"usage,":[185],"materials":[186],"multi-impact":[189],"assessment,":[192],"making":[193],"it":[194],"difficult":[195],"compare":[197],"aggregate":[199],"true":[200],"results.":[201],"Building":[202],"findings,":[205],"propose":[207],"measurement":[208],"approaches":[211],"support":[213],"comprehensive,":[215],"comparable":[216],"policy-relevant":[218],"assessments":[219],"impacts.":[223]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-06-11T09:08:48.828518","created_date":"2026-05-09T00:00:00"}