Geographies of AI: urgent need for educational strategies

Abstract

With the advent of ChatGPT in October 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the public consciousness, forcing engagement with its inevitable impact on various aspects of life, including academic work. This editorial takes up some environmental, social, and economic sustainability concerns associated with AI, particularly within the realm of critical pedagogy-oriented environmental education. Energy and water consumption, environmental degradation from resource extraction, and geographic disparities in labor markets are identified as pressing issues. The need to integrate these and other AI-related sustainability concerns into educational programs is highlighted, to prepare people and societies for a future where AI is ubiquitous. Similarly, greater integration of educational considerations into geographic research on AI is needed, including importantly critical geography.