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

Figure 1: A touch display is integrated in the stem of a large cardboard tree.The glowing "leaves" of the tree are yellow and red to evoke associations with late summer in Aarhus.A person can input how they have used GenAI in research and the screen will show an estimate of the CO 2 e that this research has cost.A small thermal printer will print two receipts of their result: one to hang on the tree, and one to bring home.The receipts hanging on the tree will constitute a growing body of evidence for the 2 st of GenAI use for HCI research.The user can exchange their CO 2 e result into the number of tree seeds that, if grown for the next 10 years, would be enough to offset their carbon footprint.