What Do You Want? | Sustainable Content #58


With apologies for my absence

Hi y'all! Did you miss me? I want to apologize for my prolonged absence. It turns out that my husband went and detached his retina, which required emergency surgery with all of the related appointments and follow-ups, and left him walking around with something that looked horrifyingly like the Eye of Sauron for weeks. (While I very much do not recommend the experience overall, it's certainly better than being blind. But wow, it's some horror show stuff.) And then there was the Green IO conference, followed by end-of-semester move-out for my kid... now suddenly it's June.

I'm going to keep this newsletter sort of brief and ask a question:

Do you want me talk more about the bigger picture of AI beyond content? I've gotten a couple of requests and suggestions on this front, but I don't want to go down that path without asking.

If not, what do you want to learn about? How can I help you? Just reply to this email and it will reach me directly.

Meanwhile, can we take just a moment to acknowledge how much Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical Letter was absolutely unexpected? I did not expect to be nodding along to anything that comes out of the Vatican, but 2026 is full of surprises.

"The use of AI is never a purely technical matter: when it enters processes that affect people’s lives, it touches on rights, opportunities, status and freedom.... There are clearly harmful uses, such as the manipulation of information or violations of privacy. Yet there is also a subtler danger, for when AI systems present themselves as neutral and objective, they end up reflecting and reinforcing the stereotypes or ideological bias of their designers and developers." I honestly have to applaud the fact that it interweaves society, politics, and technology in ways that I hadn't expected from the church.

Anyway, give me a shout and let me know what would help you. I'm happy to let you guide me!

"Using AI for content is like using a Ferrari where you only need a golf cart. Sure, it’s cool and powerful, but it’s entirely

unnecessary and probably wrecks some things along the way."

 

Alisa Bonsignore
Sustainable Content: How to Measure and Mitigate the Carbon Footprint of Digital Data
Now available

What I've been reading

Aside from the aforementioned Encyclical Letter, I'm also reading:

What is the actual impact (so far) of the AI jobs hysteria? MIT Technology Review suggests that the impact is less than we believe. I know my experience is just anecdata, but I know entirely too many people experiencing prolonged unemployment for me to not take this with a grain of salt.

I'm deeply intrigued by the focus of the Mountain West Renewables Summit, particularly given the recent go-ahead for a Utah data center that will be twice the size of Manhattan which could create a massive heat island and use more than twice the energy that the state currently uses. (This is fine...)

More insights into the fact that the planet is warming faster than expected. (This is fine...)

Shameless and unsolicited cross-promotion of good stuff!

By now you all probably know of my perennial enthusiasm for the Button conference. This year, I'll be a speaker! Some of my favorite people are on the agenda, including Natalie Marie Dunbar, David Dylan Thomas, Erin White, Audrey Ross, and of course your excellent host, Torrey Podmajersky. I hope I'll see you at this virtual conference in September!

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People are saying good things about Sustainable Content

"Indeed, the book’s discussions of the value and return on investment (ROI) of sustainability initiatives bolsters its persuasiveness considerably. Its examples reach across nations and industries—including the healthcare, retail, software, and sports industries—to reflect the broad applicability of its message, as well as the global and interconnected nature of digital data and climate impact."

- Katy Keffer, Foreword Reviews

Alisa Bonsignore

Founder, Strategist, and Author

Clarifying Complex Ideas, LLC

Talking about sustainable content: how to measure and mitigate the carbon footprint of digital data.

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