East Side Stewards Statement on AI Use

East Side Stewards recognizes that artificial intelligence carries real environmental and social costs, including high energy and water use, expanded data center infrastructure, and the extraction of natural resources that place additional strain on frontline communities and ecosystems.

We have used AI in a limited and transparent way to generate a staff photo and a visual map of the ESS Blueprint. The energy and water use associated with these tools has been intentionally offset as part of our responsibility to reduce harm where possible. We stand in solidarity with environmentalists, climate justice advocates, and community organizers working to prevent the expansion of extractive data infrastructure and the unchecked growth of AI systems that deepen ecological and social inequities.

Moving forward, East Side Stewards commits to not using AI tools in our future work. Our organizing, planning, storytelling, and design will continue to be grounded in human relationships, community knowledge, and stewardship practices that honor land, labor, and collective care. This commitment reflects our belief that how we build matters as much as what we build, and that true sustainability is rooted in restraint, accountability, and shared responsibility.

Get Involved In The Fight Against AI Data Centers: https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/