Environmentally Responsible Use of AI

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Project Kind

ThreadPlanetary HealthThreadEnabling Technologies

Project Outline

Investigate the hidden environmental costs of AI and help ANU build practical guidance for sustainable tech choices.

AI systems are rapidly embedded across universities—in research, teaching, administration, and communications. While they offer genuine benefits, they carry hidden environmental costs: energy consumed in data centres, water used for cooling, embodied carbon in hardware. These costs are largely invisible to users. ANU Green is developing guidelines to help the university community make informed choices about when AI use makes sense. Your research will build the evidence base and stakeholder understanding needed to inform this work.

Learning Statement

You'll learn how to investigate institutional technology practices, map competing interests, and build a roadmap for institutional behaviour change. You'll develop skills in translating technical information into accessible analysis and understanding how environmental considerations fit into governance frameworks.

Skills Needed:

Interest in environmental sustainability or technology governance
Comfort with qualitative research methods (interviews, surveys, observation)
Ability to synthesise literature and communicate technical ideas clearly
No specialist AI knowledge required

Skills Developed:

Qualitative research and stakeholder engagement
Systems and institutional thinking
Evidence synthesis and technical communication
Theory of change development

Preparation

Review ANU's Environmental Sustainability Plan and AI Principles for teaching and learning. ANU Green will provide background reading on AI environmental impacts and relevant governance materials.

Deliverables

A research report including:

Summary of AI's environmental footprint in university settings
Review of ANU's current AI governance approaches
Findings on community awareness, attitudes, and barriers
Theory of change for integrating sustainability into AI decisions
Practical recommendations for ANU guidelines

Additional Advice

This work sits at the intersection of technology, environment, and institutional change—ideal if you're interested in how organisations actually shift their practices. You'll work closely with ANU Green and have direct input into real governance decisions.

Get Involved

If you are interested in working on a Partner project, please reach out to McCusker.Education@anu.edu.au and let us know:

who you are
why you're interested in this project
what you might be able to bring to this project
when you would be able to work on the project with the partner
a recent CV that we can pass onto the partner

Once we've received your interest, we'll give you the most up-to-date information about the project and how you might be best able to contribute.

Please note that although we try out best to connect the right students with the right projects, expressing your interest does not guarantee working with the partner.

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