Linking public awareness to RRI pathways for sustainable AI: a survey from Japan and South Korea

Abstract The concept of “Sustainable AI” has opened a new avenue for addressing environmental sustainability within AI ethics. In this study, we argue that the framework of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) can provide a promising direction for Sustainable AI, because it integrates socially desirable values across the AI lifecycle and promotes inclusive public engagement. From this perspective, public awareness of AI’s environmental impacts is not only a prerequisite but also realizing RRI with society. Drawing on original online surveys conducted in Japan and South Korea ( N = 700 per country), we examine how awareness of AI’s environmental consequences is distributed across each society. Approximately 22% of respondents in Japan and 51% in Korea reported being aware of the issue. Regression analyses further revealed that gender, education, and income significantly predicted awareness levels. These findings point to two key implications. First, the asymmetry between the “AI for Sustainability” and the relatively overlooked concern of the “Sustainability of AI,” previously observed in Western contexts, may also be emerging in Japan and Korea, despite their high levels of climate and AI awareness. Second, the diffusion of awareness appears to follow existing sociodemographic patterns: men, higher-income groups, and those with higher educational attainment were more likely to report awareness. We emphasize the uneven distribution of public awareness, so understanding these patterns should be considered in pursuing RRI for Sustainable AI.