Climate Action

WED-A02: Progress or Peril? AI, Environmental Stewardship, and the Future of Landscape Architecture

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

8:30 AM - 9:45 AM PT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW

Speaker(s)

Alyssa M. Moffitt, ASLA

Landscape Architect, Principal, Climate Action Chair
Terra Brava Landscape Architecture, ASLA Southern California Chapter
Santa Barbara, California
Alyssa Erickson

Landscape Designer
Landscape Architecture
Berkeley, California
Evan Mather, FASLA

Principal, Director of Landscape Architecture and Los Angeles Operations
MIG, Inc.
Los Angeles, California

Artificial Intelligence promises rapid iterations, visualization, and sustainability analysis—but at what cost? AI data centers drive land and habitat loss, high water and energy use, and public health. This session examines the environmental challenges, ethical best practices, and strategies to balance innovation with environmental stewardship and public well-being.

Learning Outcomes:

Assess AI’s environmental impacts, including energy demand, grid strain, expanding carbon footprints, land conversion, groundwater depletion, and compounded pollution burdens on frontline communities.
Apply responsible AI practices to protect intellectual property and support emerging professionals, including balancing hand skills with digital tools, choosing ethical platforms, managing risk, and tailoring adoption across firm scales.
Distinguish between “Green in AI” and “Green by AI,” evaluating the costs and benefits of AI for the environment and public health to identify the line between genuine progress and greenwashing.
Develop advocacy strategies including pursuing transparency through EPDs, advancing responsible AI regulation, and partnering with frontline communities to support their land use visions and needs.