Perceptions of AI and the Environment

Last registered on April 01, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Perceptions of AI and the Environment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018213
Initial registration date
March 25, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 01, 2026, 9:33 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Martin Abel
Affiliation
Middlebury College
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Subi Kalra
PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-03-25
End date
2026-05-31
Keywords
Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We conduct a study testing how information about the energy use of AI affects the attitude, intentions, and behavior of individuals. We recruit an online sample from the US and randomize people into a control group or one of two treatment arm. The first received information about the local environmental impact of AI, such as reports about water shortage due to data centers. The second treatment arm receives information about the energy use of different forms of AI tasks (e.g. text or energy generation). We will test how these information treatments affect attitudes and the use of AI tools.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Abel, Martin and Subi Kalra. 2026. "Perceptions of AI and the Environment." AEA RCT Registry. April 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18213-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-03-26
Intervention End Date
2026-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Attitudes towards AI, intended AI use, reported AI use, AI use in experimental task
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We recruit an online sample from the US from Prolific and randomize people into a control group or one of two treatment arm. The first received information about the local environmental impact of AI, such as reports about water shortage due to data centers. The second treatment arm receives information about the energy use of different forms of AI tasks (e.g. text or energy generation). We will test how these information treatments affect attitudes and the use of AI tools.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Computer (Qualtrics)
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1400 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
1400 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Each group is receiving one third of the total participant pool.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Bowdoin College IRB
IRB Approval Date
2026-03-02
IRB Approval Number
IRB-2026-7
Analysis Plan

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