Ireland sits at the centre of a datacentre nexus and we are feeling the everyday cost of AI adoption in the demand for power and access.
We asked ourselves - What happens when innovation outpaces responsibility? AI’s potential is immense but so is its environmental cost. Previously in education, there was a natural limiting factor: the cost of a finite resource.
But in today’s AI arms race fuelled by subsidised energy and geopolitical tensions—no such limits exist. CO₂ targets and SDGs are being quietly sidelined, while the language of climate change denial creeps in through false equivalences and techno-optimism.
This keynote will unpack the true ecological footprint of AI and challenge the dominant narratives of progress. Through systems thinking and actionable strategy, we’ll explore how schools can take the lead—ensuring AI adoption is part of the climate solution, not the problem.
Here is the course description:
Every AI tool used in the classroom has an unseen energy price tag. All the AI-generated responses, images, or videos consumes energy, sometimes as much as charging a phone or powering entire data centers. As AI adoption skyrockets, educators must become energy-sensitive, not energy-blind. This course explores AI’s environmental footprint, from data center consumption to the hidden costs of generative tools. Designed for educators and school leaders, this course equips you with practical strategies to reduce AI’s energy impact while still harnessing its power for learning. You’ll learn how to evaluate AI tools, adopt mindful usage practices, and lead your school toward responsible innovation—ensuring that AI enhances education without compromising sustainability.
Understand the energy and resource demands of AI, from data centers to daily queries.
Reduce unnecessary AI use, optimize queries, and implement energy-conscious policies in schools.
Model responsible AI consumption and equip students with critical thinking skills about technology’s impact.
Like wildfire, teachers love deep and thoughtful tools and consideration of our deeply held values.
Because it is free, short enough and practical in it's advice it has been very popular with thousands of teachers
We have to update the imperfect calculations regularly as AI is a moving target....
Register here: https://academy.eblanalearning.com/products/courses/sustainable-ai-use
