The HCI GenAI CO2ST Calculator: Calculating and Offsetting the Carbon Footprint of Generative AI Use in Human-Computer Interaction Research

Increased usage of generative AI (GenAI) in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research has caused a sustainability crisis in computing, due to the excessive power consumption of developing and running these models. Energy consumption causes a massive carbon footprint. The exact energy usage and and subsequent carbon emissions are difficult to estimate in HCI research because HCI researchers most often use cloud-based services where the hardware and its energy consumption are hidden from plain view. The HCI GenAI CO2st Calculator is a tool designed specifically for the HCI research pipeline, to help researchers estimate the energy consumption and carbon footprint of using generative AI in their research, either a priori (allowing for mitigation strategies or experimental redesign) or post hoc (allowing for transparent documentation of carbon footprint in written reports of the research).