Environment
The environmental costs of AI as an extractive technology: energy consumption, carbon emissions, mining, and the hidden costs of the cloud.
Image: Gloria Mendoza / Better Images of AI / The Environmental Impact of Data Centres in Vulnerable Ecosystems / CC-BY 4.0
Articles
Teaching AI Ethics: Environment
The environmental concerns of artificial intelligence are less reported on than algorithmic bias, but just as important. AI is an extractive technology with hidden costs in energy, mining, and carbon emissions.
Teaching AI Ethics 2025: Environment
The environmental concerns of AI are one of the most important ethical issues. AI as an extractive technology akin to the mining industry — and why the conversation is more nuanced than headlines suggest.
Case Studies
The Carbon Cost of Training Large Language Models
Research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that training a single large language model can emit as much carbon as five cars in their lifetimes, with the Transformer model consuming 656,347 kWh of electricity.
Teaching Ideas
Analyse persuasive texts on digital sustainability, asking "Is this tech company truly 'green'?" or "How do tech advertisements use environmental language to mislead?"
What is the carbon footprint of cloud computing? How do server farms affect local ecosystems?
How energy-efficient is the code we write? What happens to old hardware when we upgrade?
Where do raw materials for smartphones come from? How does digital infrastructure affect land use?
Who bears the environmental burden of digital consumption? Should governments regulate e-waste exports?
How much CO2 is generated by a Google search? What do energy use graphs of tech companies reveal?
How can digital art raise awareness of e-waste or tech pollution?
Who bears the environmental burden of digital consumption? Investigate the unequal distribution of tech pollution.
Should governments regulate e-waste exports? Debate the ethics of exporting electronic waste to developing nations.
What policies support equitable access to green technologies? Explore how environmental justice intersects with digital policy.
How can we reduce the lifecycle impact of tech products? Explore sustainable design principles for digital devices.
What is eco-design in the context of digital devices? Investigate how environmental considerations shape product design.
How energy-efficient is the code we write? Measure the environmental cost of software design choices.
What happens to old hardware when we upgrade? Trace the lifecycle of digital devices after disposal.
Can we design low-impact apps or systems? Explore strategies for building energy-efficient software.
How do tech advertisements use environmental language to mislead? Critically analyse greenwashing in tech marketing.
What narratives are missing in the conversation about e-waste? Explore whose stories are excluded from environmental discourse.
Where do raw materials for smartphones come from? Map the global supply chains behind digital devices.
How does digital infrastructure affect urban and rural land use? Examine the spatial footprint of data centres and cell towers.
What role do satellites and GIS play in environmental monitoring? Explore how geospatial technology aids and complicates sustainability.
How much CO2 is generated by a Google search? Calculate the cumulative carbon cost of everyday digital activities.
What do energy use graphs of tech companies reveal? Interpret data visualisations of corporate energy consumption.
How can we model the global growth of e-waste? Use exponential growth models to project electronic waste trends.
What is the carbon footprint of cloud computing? Measure and compare emissions from data centres worldwide.
How do server farms affect local ecosystems? Investigate the ecological impact of data centre construction and operation.
Can digital technology help monitor and mitigate climate change? Explore how AI and sensors support environmental science.
How can digital art raise awareness of e-waste or tech pollution? Create works that highlight the environmental cost of technology.
Can we create installations from recycled AI output? Explore artistic reuse of digital waste and discarded data.
How does digital surveillance impact the environment and our understanding of ethical responsibility? Connect surveillance infrastructure to environmental costs.
Do we have a moral obligation to consider the environmental cost of digital knowledge systems? Debate the ethics of energy-intensive knowledge production.