Indigenous wisdom at the AI for Good summit calls to halt resource depletion and redefine computational efficiency

The session "AI, Indigenous Wisdom and the Future of Humanity", held as part of the AI for Good Global Summit 2026, placed the paradox of natural resource consumption at the centre of international technology debates. Evie Smith, a consultant in stewardship systems and cultural innovation, opened the session with a reminder on drawing upon ancestral wisdom, while Vijay Karia, co-founder and CEO of OptiCloud, raised direct questions regarding the energy, water, computing capacity, and natural resources consumed behind every interaction with generative AI models, describing it as the fastest transformative technology adopted by humanity in its history.

Karia noted that global investments in computing and AI infrastructure are projected to reach between 5 trillion and 7 trillion dollars over the next five years, stressing that this massive scale of capital demands corresponding levels of responsibility to prevent history's largest computing platform from becoming the greatest source of digital waste and resource depletion. Karia cited his company's work in reducing infrastructure costs, power usage, water consumption, and emissions by more than thirty percent for a 911 emergency services provider in the United States within two weeks, explaining that while the Industrial Revolution taught humanity methods of extraction, the AI revolution must teach it pathways toward renewal and sustainability by drawing inspiration from seven-generation thinking models rather than confining planning to the next financial quarter.

Indigenous peoples represent approximately five percent of the global population and protect around eighty percent of the planet's biodiversity, making their perspective on the meaning of resources essential for reassessing the trajectory of infrastructure.In this context, Puyr Tembé, former secretary of indigenous affairs for the state of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon, outlined the reality of environmental threats arising from deforestation, illegal mining, river contamination, and the fallout of climate change. Tembé emphasized that nature represents a network of reciprocal relationships rather than merely a resource for exploitation, explaining that genuine intelligence is not tied to algorithmic speed, but to deep listening and safeguarding diverse forms of existence.

Defining the role of artificial intelligence must serve the preservation of inherited languages and oral traditions, provided these tools bolster the self-determination of local communities rather than replace their living voices.For her part, Evie Smith affirmed that AI remains merely a tool that requires direction from intergenerational intelligence, pointing to the potential of technical solutions to restore history, knowledge, and heritage pathways when coupled with sound methodologies.

The session concluded with a recorded message from Ivonne Baki, the Ecuadorian ambassador who has worked on environmental and diplomatic files covering the Galápagos Islands and Yasuní National Park in the Amazon. Baki called for measuring the success of AI by the degree to which it advances human dignity and peace opportunities equally between the Global North and South, arguing that protecting ecosystems preserves the vast living library upon which future scientific discovery depends, and emphasizing that conscious leadership ensures leaving the world in a better state for present and future generations.