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You are not lost.
You have arrived at a sub-page in the AIxDESIGN Archive.
This is a public repository – our way of working in the open and sharing as we go.
Have fun!
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INDEX
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2026 - ongoing
The story of "the cloud" makes the internet sound weightless, ephemeral, inconsequential.
It makes us think our digital lives float somewhere, nowhere near the ground. But every TikTok scroll, every ChatGPT prompt, every Netflix binge runs through actual data centers that gulp water, strain energy grids, and ignite conflict over land and resources.
This is not new. There is a ton of academic research, investigative journalism, and creative projects that document the environmental impact of digital infrastructures. But it's trapped in PDFs nobody reads, disconnected from our everyday digital actions.
Meanwhile, Big Tech gets away with vague green pledges while communities in Virginia face droughts, Ireland’s energy grid buckles under the weight of data centers, and Uruguayan locals fight water battles with Google. The information is out there, but it's not accessible when you need it.
r00ts is our attempt at "grounding the cloud". We're making it simple to see the real-world impact of your digital life, turning abstract debates into concrete ideas anyone can grasp.
Timeline: January 2026 – Ongoing
Team: Ploipailin Flynn (Project Lead), Nadia Piet (Creative Lead), Elena Zaghis (Content), Ana Marques (Graphic Design)
Partners: xxx
Funding: Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie - Grounding the Cloud
Why it mattersHow we're doing itLink(s): x
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Our internet doesn't live "in the cloud" (wtf does that even mean?). It lives in real places with real consequences.
r00ts traces your internet use to actual data centers around the world, connecting you to the droughts, energy battles, and community resistance happening there. Because your internet has neighbors, and they're probably pissed.
January 2026 – Ongoing
Project Lead: Ploipailin Flynn
Creative Lead: Nadia Piet
Technology Lead: Arran Lyon
Communications Lead: Elena Zaghis
Graphic Designer: Ana Marques
Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie
The story of "the cloud" makes the internet sound weightless, ephemeral, inconsequential.
It makes us think our digital lives float somewhere, nowhere near the ground. But every TikTok scroll, every ChatGPT prompt, every Netflix binge runs through actual data centers that gulp water, strain energy grids, and ignite conflict over land and resources.
This is not new. There is a ton of academic research, investigative journalism, and creative projects that document the environmental impact of digital infrastructures. But it's trapped in PDFs nobody reads, disconnected from our everyday digital actions.
Meanwhile, Big Tech gets away with vague green pledges while communities in Virginia face droughts, Ireland’s energy grid buckles under the weight of data centers, and Uruguayan locals fight water battles with Google. The information is out there, but it's not accessible when you need it.
r00ts is our attempt at "grounding the cloud". We're making it simple to see the real-world impact of your digital life, turning abstract debates into concrete ideas anyone can grasp.
We are building r00ts like we wish Big Tech would build: transparent, community-first, and intentionally small.
And, yes, we're using digital infrastructure to critique digital infrastructure. The tool itself has an environmental footprint. Rather than pretending otherwise, we’re documenting our own resource use to make the r00ts’ cost visible alongside the impacts it reveals.