Nov 27, 2025 • Perfomance & AI Day

Fireside Chat: AI and Sustainability - Thorsten Jonas

90% of all data stored on active servers is never used again. This digital waste has a massive energy footprint, and generative AI is accelerating the crisis.

#1about 2 minutes

Defining sustainable UX and digital sustainability

The Sustainable UX Network aims to make digital products more ecologically and societally sustainable.

#2about 6 minutes

Confronting the massive scale of digital waste

An estimated 90% of all data on the internet is unused, creating significant greenhouse gas emissions from data centers that could be reduced.

#3about 5 minutes

How UX design creates addictive and ephemeral content

Platforms like TikTok use UX patterns that trigger short-term reward loops in the brain, creating an addiction machine based on ephemeral content.

#4about 4 minutes

GenAI amplifies disinformation and online manipulation

Generative AI is used to create propaganda, deepfakes, and fake product reviews at scale, eroding critical thinking and manipulating public opinion.

#5about 7 minutes

Questioning the illusion of AI-driven efficiency gains

The narrative that AI makes us more efficient is often false and, like the story of "Momo," can lead to filling our time with more work instead of improving our lives.

#6about 6 minutes

Uncovering the hidden environmental costs of AI

The immense energy consumption of AI models strains power grids and externalizes ecological costs, while the quality of the output often fails to justify the resources used.

#7about 7 minutes

Distinguishing valuable AI from generative AI hype

Beyond the hype of generative AI, other forms of AI provide real value in areas like climate modeling and medical imaging, though dual-use applications remain a concern.

#8about 6 minutes

Advocating for regulation and intentional UX friction

Since corporate self-regulation fails, government regulation and designing intentional friction into user experiences are necessary to promote transparency and mindful technology use.

#9about 7 minutes

Taking responsibility for a more humane tech future

The current generation of tech creators has a critical window of opportunity to fight for a democratized and humane technology world before harmful norms become permanent.