Ethics & Environment

Balancing Innovation and Responsibility

At Arts Grant Guru, we are committed to providing a thoughtful, ethical, and accessible service while acknowledging the broader impacts of using AI technology in grant writing. Our goal is to enable more artists and organisations to access funding efficiently and affordably, while maintaining a balanced approach to innovation and sustainability.

 

 

Environmental Impact of AI in Grant Writing

We recognise that using AI introduces an additional energy cost. However, it’s important to weigh this against the energy and time footprint of traditional grant writing methods, which often involve extended office hours, travel, and the use of multiple human resources.

• Energy Usage of AI:

• Running our AI model for a single grant application consumes approximately 400–800 watt-hours (Wh), comparable to streaming 1–2 hours of HD video on popular platforms.

(This estimate reflects typical GPU and CPU usage, such as that of NVIDIA A100 processors, during the 6–15 hour processing period required per application. It also accounts for hosting on energy-efficient data centers with modern infrastructure.Energy consumption comparisons for AI and video streaming are informed by data from reputable sources, including the International Energy Agency)

• This energy use is relatively modest compared to traditional grant writing, which can require weeks of office work, multiple drafts, and several in-person meetings.

• Offsetting Energy Costs:

• AI streamlines the grant writing process, reducing the need for prolonged office hours, frequent travel, and back-and-forth revisions. This efficiency offsets much of the additional energy cost by decreasing emissions from traditional workflows.

• For example, a team of fundraisers might use laptops, office heating, and travel over several weeks, resulting in a larger overall footprint than our AI-assisted approach, which delivers high-quality results in a fraction of the time.

 

 

The Bigger Picture

While AI does contribute to global energy usage, it’s worth noting that data centres and computing technologies are widely used by organisations like Facebook, Google, and even the Arts Council itself for data storage, processing, and administrative operations. AI in grant writing is not a new or isolated concept but part of a broader movement towards digital efficiency.

 

What sets our approach apart is the democratising potential of AI:

• Opening Access to Arts Funding: By offering a faster, more affordable service, we help artists and small organisations who might not otherwise have access to traditional, expensive fundraising services.

• Saving Time and Resources: The speed and efficiency of AI allow creative professionals to focus on their art rather than spending weeks navigating funding applications.

 

 

Ethical Use of AI

We take a kind and aware approach to the ethical implications of using AI in grant writing. Here’s how we ensure our service is secure, fair, and responsible:

• Training on Consensual Data:

• Our AI is purpose-built and trained exclusively on successful Arts Council applications provided with consent. No data is stolen or reused from other artists’ work.

• The AI analyses patterns in language, structure, and best practices to create tailored and effective applications, always customised to the client’s unique project.

• No Plagiarism:

• The AI does not copy from other artists’ submissions or projects. It only knows the information provided by the client and uses open-access data, credible research, and best practices to inform its work.

• Human Expertise:

• Every application is reviewed by a professional fundraiser with years of experience in the arts. This combination of AI-driven insights and expert human oversight ensures that each application is ethical, secure, and of the highest quality.

 

 

A Thoughtful Approach to Sustainability

We understand that using AI for grant writing is an additional service contributing to global energy usage. However, we believe the positives outweigh the negatives:

• Energy Savings in Other Areas:

• AI-assisted grant writing significantly reduces the need for office hours, travel, and administrative overhead. By cutting down on time and resources spent on meetings and traditional workflows, it offsets much of the additional energy cost.

• Democratising Funding:

• Our service empowers more artists and organisations to access arts funding by offering a faster, more affordable, and efficient alternative to traditional fundraising services. This makes the process more inclusive and accessible to underrepresented groups.

• A Balanced Perspective:

• While it’s true that AI uses energy, so do all aspects of modern life and work. The added efficiency, accessibility, and reduced resource consumption our service provides represent a net positive for the environment and for democratising the funding process.