Anyone with an internet connection can now fire off a query to an AI agent – but what’s the real-world environmental impact of the ‘fourth industrial revolution’? This story was first published on RNZ Conversations about AI in New Zealand have centred more recently on its effect on the world of work. The government plans to save $2.4 billion in baseline costs over the next four years by cutting nearly 9000 public sector jobs – and says in many cases AI will fill the gap .