When you think of using Artificial Intelligence, you would not think of the environment because it is technology-related. On the other hand, you have to think further and find out that you need computers to run AI queries and train large language models. These computers are massive and are in data centers. 

So why is this an issue for the environment? 

High use of electricity is made by big data centers that house large computers to run AI models.

Generative AI and queries in various AI search engines use a huge amount of electricity. In a Snopes article, it was laid out how AI impacts an increase in fossil fuel emissions and pollutants. Training AI models uses large data centers that house large computers. 

To give you a better idea of this environmental impact, Snopes mentioned two studies using ChatGPT that increase these emissions. The first one mentioned that writing a 100-250 word email in GPT produces about a quarter to half a pound of carbon emissions. The second one laid out that a single GPT query uses 10 times more electrical energy than a regular Google search. 

In a study on the water footprint of AI models, they explained how large amounts of clean fresh water can just evaporate. So you can better understand how much water is consumed by AI, the above-mentioned article in Snopes has explained that writing an up to 200-word email in GPT consumes about 3 liters of water, and generating 10-50 responses in GPT ‘drinks’ roughly a 500 ml water bottle. 

What is even further disturbing is that massive amounts of data centers are being built on the continent of Africa, where water scarcity already exists, and this poses critical challenges for the future of these regions.

While I have my reservations, I recognize the significant advantages AI can bring to some industries, especially the healthcare sector. Using AI as a tool to help with research can be instrumental in finding more treatments for various diseases, where we don’t have any cures yet. 

Nevertheless, making AI available to the public presented tremendous challenges and a huge environmental impact. To reduce my impact, I will limit using AI each week; this continues to encourage independent thinking. Additionally, I will continue using regular search engines (ie, Bing, Google, etc.) for my research and minimize AI search engines.

As we navigate a world driven by AI technology that creates environmental and ethical challenges, it is important to stay informed and open-minded. I encourage you to share your insights, experiences, or concerns regarding AI usage in the comments section below.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your online presence, click on the following link to schedule a meeting with me.