AI and sustainability: difficult choices

What is the environmental impact of Artificial Intelligence? And does the potential for AI innovation outweigh the environmental cost?

Collage of pages from the “AI and sustainability: difficult choices” teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 10 January 2025

About this lesson

While AI is helping people find solutions to climate change, it’s also contributing to the problem. By 2030, the amount of CO2 produced by AI data centres will equate to roughly 40% of the annual emissions of the United States. What’s more important: AI’s potential for progress? Or protecting the planet?

This resource was created for Topical Talk Festival 2025. See student discussions on this lesson here.

Use this one-hour lesson to help your students:

  • Learn about AI and its uses
  • Discuss the progress of AI and its impact on sustainability
  • Decide where AI should be used around the world

These teaching resources are supported by Infosys. The Economist Educational Foundation maintained full editorial control.

Download the resource (Zip)

This lesson develops the following skills and knowledge:

  • Listening

    Step 3: I listen to others and can tell someone else what it was about
    Step 10: I am aware of how a speaker is influencing me through their language
    Step 11: I listen critically and compare different perspectives

  • Knowledge

    I know how AI is helping people and why it is not yet sustainable

Available downloads

Create an account or log in to access resources for this

Create account Login

Related resources

View all resources