Chapter 09 · Sustainability & AISustainability & AI
Autonomous system
Definition
A system that performs tasks or makes decisions without continuous human control, operating within the parameters and objectives set for it.
References
This source provides part of the technical or institutional basis for the definition.
This source supports the explanation of how the term is applied, measured or governed in practice.
Overview
What it means
Autonomy is graded, not binary — standards such as SAE J3016 formalise levels for vehicles, and similar thinking applies to drones, robots and self-optimising industrial equipment. Higher autonomy expands capability but also the consequences of error.
How it is used
Sustainability applications include survey drones for forests and coastlines, autonomous environmental sensors, and self-optimising control of energy systems — Google's reported use of autonomous control for data-centre cooling being a prominent example.
Why it matters
Autonomous systems extend monitoring and optimisation into places and timescales humans cannot cover. They also shift responsibility upstream: once control is delegated, safety cases, fail-safes and audit trails become the real governance object.