In the News: How Much Energy Can AI Use?
January 7, 2025
Are you aware of the environmental impact of AI tools like ChatGPT? Whether you're asking for help with a homework question or proofreading an email, the energy required to generate responses is immense! While the exact impact is hard to measure, researchers estimate the surprising amount of water and power ChatGPT uses. Check out #GoodforMEdia’s youth reactions and thoughts on this important topic!
What you need to know:
Generative AI requires a substantial amount of energy to power its models.
A 100 word email generated by an AI chatbot requires use of approximately 1 bottle of water.
Each prompt requires a lot of energy to run their servers
A 100 word email generated by an AI chatbot = 14 LED bulbs for 1 hour.
Our gut reactions:
Many of us were unaware of the environmental impact.
While we often use it for schoolwork or to proofread emails, we had no idea about the scale of its effects on the environment.
There is often pressure to address climate change at an individual level but we don’t look at bigger data and internet impacts like this.
Hard to imagine the internet as a physical thing using water.
We think it’s headed in the…
Right direction
Wrong direction
Too soon to tell
What to look out for:
Will people restrict use due to how energy intensive it is?
Does a normal Google search also take up a lot of energy?
What can be done to minimize these impacts?
We want to hear from you!
Are you aware of the environmental impact of AI tools like ChatGPT? Comment on our Instagram post.
References
A bottle of water per email: the hidden environmental costs of using AI chatbots The Washington Post