The Carbon Cost of a Comma: The Environmental Impact of Generative AI Sessions

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The Carbon Cost of a Comma: The Environmental Impact of Generative AI

5/1/2026 12:00 AM - 5/2/2026 12:00 AM

Location

Online

Speakers

Amy Frushour Kelly

Amy Frushour Kelly is an editor and AI content policy consultant. She advocates for the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence in the editing and writing professions by promoting AI ethics, literacy, and editor-specific training in policy development. She teaches the AI Content Policy for Editors course and is a frequent presenter at conferences on AI ethics for editors and content creators. Amy has 30 years of editing experience in journalism, technical writing, finance, and content marketing, as well as fiction. Amy currently serves on the ACES Board of Directors and is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and Professional Editors Network.

Summary

Every time we use AI to edit, summarize, or generate text, we engage real-world systems that consume electricity, water, and resources. This session looks at the environmental footprint of generative AI: from data centers and regional power grids to the societal, economic, and infrastructure impacts. We’ll explore what drives AI’s energy use, why transparency is limited, and how our professional judgment can make a difference. You’ll leave with language and insights to discuss sustainability as part of responsible editing. Learning Objectives: 1. Identify key factors that influence AI's energy usage 2. Integrate environmental awareness into editorial decision-making 3. Use critical judgment to assess the reliability of information on AI’s energy and resource consumption