3rd European GREEN Conference – EGC 2025
10-13 June 2025 | Vodice, CROATIA
KeyNote Speaker
Prof. Dr. KRISTINA AFRIĆ RAKITOVAC
University of Pula, Department of Tourism and Management (Croatia)
The Green Illusion: What Generative AI Really Costs the Planet? Kristina AFRIĆ RAKITOVAC
Generative AI is revolutionizing how we create, communicate, work and compute — but beneath its sleek, seamless output lies a complex web of environmental and social consequences. While much of the public debate focuses on the benefits of AI, the author critically reflects on what is often left out: the ecological footprint of generative AI systems, as well as the potential social risks. From mining of rare metals for hardware production, the massive water use required to cool data centres, the vast energy demands behind every prompt, the huge quantities of electronic waste, the impact on natural eco systems— the author explores the often-neglected environmental infrastructure that fuels the illusion of a “clean” intelligence. Widespread use of generative artificial intelligence potentially carries various social risks: misinformation and deepfakes, job losses and economic inequality, discrimination, erosion of human creativity, loss of responsibility, etc. The proposed topic challenges scientists, experts, innovators, educators, policymakers and various other relevant stakeholders to reconsider sustainability not only as an ultimate goal, but as a fundamental principle by asking the question: Can we use the transformative power of generative AI without disrupting natural systems, while preventing negative impacts on society?
Short biography
Kristina Afrić Rakitovac is a full professor at the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr. Mijo Mirković”. She is the head of the Department of National and International Economy. Her fields of expertise are topics related to sustainable economic development. She teaches Development Economics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Economics, EU Environmental Policy and Sustainable Tourism at the graduate, master and PhD level. She was a researcher on various competitive scientific projects: Measuring well-being and combating poverty – performing the welfare function”; “Competitiveness of SME – Forming of Clusters in Croatian Economy”, “Sustainable Tourism: The Taste of Istria”, “ArchaeoCulTour: Archaeological landscape in the sustainable development of cultural tourism in the Municipality of Vrsar”, etc. She has also been actively involved in various EU-funded projects, including: “The Road to Europe – Training Courses and Resources for Institution Building in European Integration”, “REVITAS – Revitalisation of Istrian hinterland and tourism in the Istrian hinterland”, “ADRIFORT – Adriatic Fortresses and Military Areas”, “KLIK – Center for competent lifelong development of innovative knowledge and skills in the catering and tourism sector” and actually in the “FORTIC – From remains Of the war to the aRchiTecture of peace in cross-border area of Italy-Croatia”. She has published more than sixty scientific and professional papers, edited five scientific monographs and has participated in more than forty international scientific conferences. For over a decade, she has coordinated the Green Library project in collaboration with the University Library, aiming to promote environmental awareness and ecological literacy among students and the broader academic and social community.
Email: kristina.afric.rakitovac@unipu.hr
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