Ecosystemic Episode # 7
When AI Meets Earth:
What if technology could serve the planet instead of draining it?
From Fieldwork to Frameworks: How One Scientist Is Using AI to Reimagine Sustainability
What happens when a 20-year environmental scientist discovers the creative power of AI?
Meet Matthew O’Brien, founder of AI for Enviros, an Australian consultancy helping environmental professionals use large language models responsibly and effectively.
After two decades studying rivers, soils, and ecosystems, Matthew saw potential in digital tools to amplify — not replace — human expertise. He’s now bridging the gap between ecology and emerging technology, helping scientists, councils, and companies adopt AI without losing sight of the planet.
In this episode, Matthew explores how artificial intelligence can support sustainable decision-making, the real carbon cost of data centers, and why creativity and curiosity might be our most renewable resources.
Can AI become a force for regeneration rather than just computation? Tune in to hear how one scientist is coding a new kind of environmental intelligence.
Key Takeaways
• AI is an amplifier, not a replacement. Used well, it boosts creativity and speeds up problem-solving without replacing expertise.
• Environmental intelligence matters. The sustainability sector must shape how AI evolves — or risk being shaped by it.
• Data has a footprint. Understanding the energy and water costs of large language models is key to responsible innovation.
• Values guide technology. Matthew even used AI to help define his personal and business values — proof that self-reflection and systems thinking go hand in hand.
• Lifestyle > scale. True innovation sometimes means growing slower, staying grounded, and building work around purpose instead of hype.
