# The Unbearable Lightness of Prompting: A Critical Reflection on the Environmental Impact of genAI use in Design Education

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.16061 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.16061/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 15 of its 87 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 27 Jan 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 15 of 15)

- [Sustainable AI: Environmental Implications, Challenges and Opportunities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.00364/) (2021)
- [Power Hungry Processing: Watts Driving the Cost of AI Deployment?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.16863/) (2023)
- [Generative AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.07930/) (2023)
- [Measuring the Carbon Intensity of AI in Cloud Instances](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.05229/) (2022)
- [Making AI Less "Thirsty": Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03271/) (2023)
- [Edge Impulse: An MLOps Platform for Tiny Machine Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.03332/) (2022)
- [Meaningful human control: actionable properties for AI system development](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.01298/) (2021)
- [A Survey on AI Sustainability: Emerging Trends on Learning Algorithms and Research Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.03824/) (2022)
- [Unpacking Human-AI interactions: From interaction primitives to a design space](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.05115/) (2024)
- [Learning to Prompt in the Classroom to Understand AI Limits: A pilot study](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.01540/) (2023)
- [(Un)making AI Magic: a Design Taxonomy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.15216/) (2024)
- [Blockchain and Beyond: Understanding Blockchains through Prototypes and Public Engagement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.11891/) (2021)
- [Grasping AI: experiential exercises for designers](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.01282/) (2023)
- [The Potential and Implications of Generative AI on HCI Education](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.05154/) (2024)
- [A Comparative Analysis of Energy Consumption Between The Widespread Unreal and Unity Video Game Engines](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.06346/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [When Discourse Stalls: Moving Past Five Semantic Stopsigns about Generative AI in Design Research](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.08565/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Design educators are finding ways to support students in skillfully using GenAI tools in their practices while encouraging the critical scrutiny of the ethical and social issues around these technologies. However, the issue of environmental sustainability remains unaddressed. There is a lack of both resources to grasp the environmental costs of genAI in education and a lack of shared practices for engaging with the issue. This paper critically reflects on the energy costs of using genAI in design education, using a workshop held in 2023 with 49 students as a motivating example. Through this reflection, we develop a set of five alternative stances, with related actions, that support the conscious use of genAI in design education. The work contributes to the field of design and HCI by bringing together ways for educators to reflect on their practices, informing the future development of educational programs around genAI.