We contrast assumptions embedded in AI/ML systems to patterns of repetition in discussions about weather-related risks amongst members of remote First Nations communities. Natural language processing (NLP) is increasingly proposed for use in emergency management. Thus, we analysed how repetition worked as a collaborative practice when participants in First Nations-led workshops in Australia’s Northern Territory talked about planning, responding to, and recovering from cyclones, floods and other extreme weather. Repetition supported shared understanding between languages, reinforced relational accountability, and sustained attention to unresolved issues. Yet, AI systems such as Large Language Models (LLMs) treat repetition as redundancy through dataset deduplication, alignment and preference optimisation, summarisation and compression. This can amplify extant patterns of non-listening in colonial institutions that require First Nations communities to bear the burden of ‘repetitive epistemic labour’ [29] and restate their concerns and knowledge. We conclude that sensitivity to how repetition can suppress meaning is essential in AI/ML design and engineering, especially for intercultural settings where communication is simultaneously informational, relational, and accountable.

Amidst escalating global concern about the intensification of bushfire (wildfire), we investigate how interactive, data-driven articles shape people’s engagement with this expanding environmental crisis. We build on critical discourse that positions climate informatics products as sociopolitical actors, as well as research on polarisation in environmental communication, through an empirical study of bushfire news coverage and its reception by urban Australians. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 7 fire science experts and 12 city-dwellers, who engaged with three interactive news articles. Our analysis highlights the challenges of navigating uncertainty, polarised and shifting discourse, and the emotional burden of bushfire communication. We show that engagement is shaped by a dynamic interplay between affective and cognitive sense-making, which can both motivate and inhibit attention. Participants expressed a desire for actionable, place-relevant information, yet often encountered barriers in interpreting complex or ambiguous visualisations. Based on these findings, we identify design opportunities for interactive articles that (1) respond to audiences’ existing exposure to environmental discourse, (2) scaffold engagement with uncertainty, (3) connect audiences with distant people and places, and (4) support pathways to collective action.

Despite the importance of the Information Technology (IT) sector for sustainability, there is a lack of guidance for including Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in IT degree programs. This research investigates perspectives of staff, students and industry, and contextual factors, to develop strategies for embedding sustainability in IT curricula. We conducted a case study at an IT department in a major Australian university, through semi-structured interviews and workshops with academic staff (n=10), students (n=28), and industry professionals (n=5), and by analysing documentation such as university plans, handbooks and company reports. A thematic analysis was used to synthesise perspectives, and sustainability topics were mapped to IT knowledge areas. While IT professionals have increasingly important roles in addressing sustainability challenges, many IT staff and students are unaware of, or uncertain about, sustainability’s relevance to their field. Additional barriers to integrating sustainability into IT programs include lack of educator expertise, overcrowded curricula, and the lack of tailored resources and support. We provide an empirical account of stakeholder perspectives on integrating sustainability into IT curricula in Australia. We offer a framework and recommendations to address these issues through loose, program-level coordination, training and resources to empower educators, paving the way for more profound change. This case study offers valuable insights for integrating sustainability into IT curricula, along with a framework and strategies that can serve as useful starting points for universities to take practical, educator-led steps towards ESD.