Traveling Sustainably in the Age of AI: A Reflection on Green Innovation
My journey through the Nanjing University International Summer School was not only an intellectual exploration into the crossroads of AI, art, and global humanities, but also a personal commitment to sustainable travel in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
To reduce my carbon footprint, I chose low-emission train travel between Suzhou and Nanjing, and participated in group transport rather than individual taxis. On campus, I walked or biked to lectures, museums, and cultural sites like the Humble Administrator’s Garden and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. This choice wasn’t just ecological—it also allowed me to absorb the living history and cultural nuances of each place, something you can’t experience from behind a window.
Our summer school emphasized sustainability not just in transportation, but in thought. During the program, I joined a student-led team to create a retro-pixel-style interactive video on the history and future of AI. The video doesn’t just educate users about AI milestones—from the Turing Test to the release of ChatGPT—but also encourages reflection on our human responsibility in shaping ethical, sustainable futures. Built with minimal resource use and published digitally on Bilibili, our project promotes green media: low-impact, highly engaging, and globally accessible.
Inspired by our workshops on AI and ethics, I’ve adopted additional measures for greener living and working. I now prioritize remote collaboration when feasible, reducing the need for travel. Our project was built with cloud-based tools and reused existing open-source art assets, minimizing digital waste. For future international placements, I plan to pack light, choose accommodations with green certifications, and support local eco-conscious businesses.
More broadly, I’ve come to believe that eco-friendly travel isn’t just about emissions—it’s about intention. The lectures by international scholars like Professor Sunil Manghani reminded us that sustainability is also cultural. Engaging with global communities through shared ideas, respectful practices, and mindful presence contributes to a cleaner intellectual environment—one where innovation can thrive without exploitation.
Ultimately, sustainability begins with awareness and evolves into action. Our AI video ends with a chilling question: “Who is in control?” It echoes for me not just in the context of AI, but in our relationship with the planet. Each journey is a choice—not only of where we go, but how we arrive, and what footprint we leave behind.
Through green travel, ethical tech, and cross-cultural collaboration, I strive to ensure that my international engagement is not just enlightening, but also light—on the Earth.
