Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is offering more courses focused on sustainability and artificial intelligence (AI) as student interest in these topics rises in popularity.
According to numerous studies, not only has AI been a popular topic due to its impact on the environment, but students also want to learn AI literacy to become more competitive candidates in a highly competitive job market. According to a 2025 study, eight out of 10 hiring managers said they prioritize AI skills.
Also, Gen Z statistically has a higher interest in sustainability compared to previous generations and many college students are looking to take courses that align with these topics.
Clayton Rosati, a BGSU professor who teaches about urban studies and the infrastructure of communication, is teaching a new course called Data Centers, AI and Environmental Sustainability during the upcoming fall 2026 semester.
The course will cover the role of technologies in society, how data centers impact the environment and data colonialism, a term that describes how governments and corporations collect private, human data like biodata, historical sites and knowledge in order to train deep learning AIs.
“What I’m interested in is the sort of large networks of environmental impacts—so how human beings digest nature and create our urban systems out of them,” said Rosati.
Rosati said his course will also cover how society and nature are more intertwined than people may think.
“The reality is way more complicated. What human beings do is change their environment, and in the process, change their own nature all the time,” said Rosati.
Rosati said he aims to make the class fun, despite the serious subject matter.
“Even though it’s kind of heavy subject matter, I think it’ll be something we can all dig into and explore together. Hopefully it’ll be a kind of shared learning experience for all of us,” said Rosati.
Rosati said it’s important for students to take courses on topics like AI and sustainability because it can develop their understanding of the world and how they fit into it.
“The world is always changing and it’s clear that this is going to be a big change,” said Rosati. “It’s important for us to understand the world that we live in and understand ourselves within the world.”
Rosati’s course is still open for students to join under the course “MDIA 4690: Seminar: Contemporary Issues in Media Studies.” There are also other courses in the School of Media and Communication on AI available at BGSU, like “ADV 3330: AI and New Technologies in Advertising” offered this fall, and “MDIA 3670: AI Ethics and Society,” offered in the spring.
