Source + Beyond the Source Framework: Topic: Environmental Impact of ChatGPT

To complete the activity, select two sources on the same topic (one from each section). We've included some talking points about each source that you may bring up in the discussion as you're reviewing the information with students.

Feel free to select alternate sources or topics tailored to your session -- the important thing is that both sources you use in the activity are on the same topic, but come from different publications. 

Options for Source #1

Heikkila, Melissa.  AI's carbon footprint is bigger than you think.  MIT Technology Review. 5 December 2023.

• ads pop up, some external and some for MIT Technology Review
• colorful, engaging images
• links within the article, some go back to other articles in the same publication
• originally published in a weekly newsletter, written in a more casual tone, no graphs or charts
• click on author's name at bottom to see profile
• About page - founded at MIT but it is an independent media company

What's the Carbon Footprint of AI? Environmental Impact of Training AI. 8 Billions Trees.com. 15 March 2024.

• bright images and graphics, contains a chart of information on carbon footprint of AI models
• list of references at the bottom of the page
• can click on author's name and see other articles written, but no other information
• links within article to sources
• on About page, 8 Billion Trees is a carbon offset company with large-scale planting operations in the Amazon Rainforest

Options for Source #2

Liu, V., & Yin, Y. (2024). Green AI: exploring carbon footprints, mitigation strategies, and trade offs in large language model training. Discover Artificial Intelligence, 4(1), 49–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-024-00149-w

• from journal Discover Artificial Intelligence, covers AI in theory and application
• open access journal
• authors are from Columbia University, doesn't list departments
• from Google search, Liu is a PhD student, Yin is former student
• includes references, charts, graphs
• highly technical language
• ads are for other Springer journals
• reference list at the bottom
• Ethics section at the bottom

Tomlinson, B., Black, R.W., Patterson, D.J. et al. The carbon emissions of writing and illustrating are lower for AI than for humans. Sci Rep 14, 3732 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54271-x

• from journal Scientific Reports, research from across natural sciences, psychology, medicine, engineering
• published on Nature.com
• open access journal
• authors are from University of California Irvine and University of Kansas
• one author is from law, others from informatics 
• links to similar articles
• a few small ads, not all for Nature
• includes references, charts, graphs
• link to access their data and calculations
• reference list at the bottom
• Ethics section at the bottom