首次评估生成式AI与会议活动的碳足迹，推动软件架构研究可持续发展
Toward a Sustainable Software Architecture Community: Evaluating ICSA's Environmental Impact
- 量化生成式AI在论文中的推理使用碳排放，结合研究成果边界分析
- 统计ICSA 2025会议全周期碳排放，涵盖交通、住宿、餐饮、能源等环节
- 提出透明化、绿色办会与提升生成式AI能效的实践建议
生成式AI工具正日益融入软件架构研究，但其计算使用的环境影响尚未被系统记录。本研究首次对IEEE国际软件架构会议（ICSA）的碳足迹进行了系统性审计，包含两部分：一是基于研究成果边界的生成式AI推理使用碳排放估算；二是针对ICSA 2025会议期间的参会与运营碳排放，涵盖旅行、住宿、餐饮、场地能源及物料消耗。两项碳清单采用不同系统边界和完整度，旨在促进社区透明度与反思。研究讨论了可持续软件架构的深远影响，提出增强透明性、推行绿色会议规划、优化生成式AI运行能效等建议。本工作为ICSA社区乃至更广泛研究领域建立更具气候意识的研究文化提供支持。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Generative AI (GenAI) tools are increasingly integrated into software architecture research, yet the environmental impact of their computational usage remains largely undocumented. This study presents the first systematic audit of the carbon footprint of both the digital footprint from GenAI usage in research papers, and the traditional footprint from conference activities within the context of the IEEE International Conference on Software Architecture (ICSA). We report two separate carbon inventories relevant to the software architecture research community: i) an exploratory estimate of the footprint of GenAI inference usage associated with accepted papers within a research-artifact boundary, and ii) the conference attendance and operations footprint of ICSA 2025 (travel, accommodation, catering, venue energy, and materials) within the conference time boundary. These two inventories, with different system boundaries and completeness, support transparency and community reflection. We discuss implications for sustainable software architecture, including recommendations for transparency, greener conference planning, and improved energy efficiency in GenAI operations. Our work supports a more climate-conscious research culture within the ICSA community and beyond
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