Bringing sustainability to the frontlines of tech policy: A Q&A with Scope3's Aya Saed

As AI adoption accelerates, so does the urgency to shape policy and infrastructure that reflect our collective values. At Scope3, Aya Saed is leading that charge. A lawyer and former legislative director for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Aya now leads AI policy at Scope3, where she works at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and regulation.

We sat down with Aya to learn more about her journey, her work shaping AI and tech policy, her recent selection to the Voices Fellowship, and what she’s seeing on the frontlines of sustainable AI.

Q: Could you share a bit about your professional journey? What experiences have shaped your path to becoming Head of Policy at Scope3?

Aya: I’m an attorney by training and spent a few years practicing law, mainly around issues of accountability, transparency, and corporate governance. Most recently, I worked in politics and policy on Capitol Hill, serving as legislative and policy director for Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I got to work closely on climate, sustainability, tech accountability, and governance, including as part of a new bipartisan AI task force focused on the regulatory response to this new frontier.

That role gave me a unique point of view into what policymakers are thinking and the many gaps that still exist. What became clear early on is that while there's been a surplus of progress on the technical side, there's a lack of people who can translate it to wider audiences like policymakers or the general public. I wanted to play a role in democratizing and translating these technologies so more people can shape what comes next.

Q: Were there any pivotal moments that drew you to this intersection of tech, policy, and sustainability?

Aya: There were definitely moments where I noticed a lot of obscurity and even disinformation in DC around the energy implications of new technology. That gap made me want to learn more. Getting to know Brian O’Kelley and his mission of supporting business growth while centering carbon and sustainability was an "aha" moment for me. It showed that sustainability and innovation don't have to exist in silos. In fact, for technology to succeed, we have to think about both simultaneously.

Q: In your role at Scope3, how do you help stakeholders navigate the complexities of sustainable AI?

Aya: I often play the role of connective tissue. I help translate the standards and frameworks that engineers and builders are using into language that policymakers and nontechnical stakeholders can understand. That work also extends to building interdisciplinary conversations about what future standards and frameworks should look like.

We talk to a wide range of people — policymakers, university officials, industry stakeholders — to both share what we’re learning and sharpen our own thinking. What we’re seeing is that there’s no single viewpoint. Some policymakers are concerned about energy costs and want to ban data centers. Others are focused on the economic upside. And many are in the middle, trying to make room for both. A big part of what I do is show that it’s possible to do both.

Q: You were also just accepted into the Voices Fellowship. Congratulations! What drew you to that opportunity?

Aya: Thank you! I’ve always had a critique of how big technological shifts tend to happen in silos while affecting all of us. I want to be a bridge connecting where innovation happens with the communities that are impacted by it.

With AI, there’s a lot of excitement, but not enough nuanced discussion about risks or how we build with people in mind. My hope with this fellowship is to write about these issues more publicly, to help democratize understanding and invite more people into the conversation.

Q: What topics are you hoping to explore through your fellowship writing?

Aya: Definitely the intersection of AI and sustainability. But also the ethics of AI, new regulatory frontiers, and how public policy can keep up with rapid adoption. In a lot of meetings, I’m hearing about states using AI to build public-facing tools, like chatbots for filing taxes. Who licenses those tools? Who ensures they’re accurate? We need to be asking these questions now, before we find ourselves retroactively fixing preventable problems.

My legal background helps here, too. Law is another space that’s often inaccessible by design, and I’m excited to unpack that and bring more people along in the thinking.

Q: Final question. What advice would you give to organizations that are just beginning to think about the environmental impact of their tech choices?

Aya: Start now. Ask the right questions early. Don't wait for a crisis. There’s a story I often go back to: when the railroad system first emerged, there were massive investments and high hopes, but also a series of catastrophic crashes. People lost trust. Regulation came after the fact, and while it helped stabilize the system, it came too late for many.

We have a chance to avoid that with AI. We can set guardrails now, not after public trust is eroded. We can build systems that people believe in. That requires curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to learn.

And sustainability shouldn’t be a one-day-a-year thing. It's an everyday lens. One we bring to all the work we do at Scope3.