Unveiling the Dark Side of Technological Innovation: Navigating the Sustainability Challenges of Generative Artificial Intelligence – A Preliminary Exploration

This study explores the “dark side” of technological innovation, focusing on the sustainability challenges associated with Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and its implications for business and management. While technological innovation brings significant advancements, it also entails negative environmental, social, and economic impacts, such as ecological degradation and social inequalities. Rather than directly measuring these impacts, the study investigates how Generation Z—digital natives with strong environmental and social values—perceives and reconciles the tension between the benefits of GAI and its potential negative consequences. Employing a qualitative approach through interviews with university students, the research reveals growing concerns around AI’s environmental footprint, its role in widening social gaps, and the erosion of human connection. These perceptions highlight the need for a more responsible and sustainable implementation of emerging technologies. By centering the voices of Generation Z, the study offers novel insights into how future users and professionals interpret and navigate the ethical and ecological trade-offs of innovation.