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The Environmental Impact of Generative AI?

Lisa Miles

I came across an interesting article on BBC News over the weekend about the latest generative AI trend that's taking social feeds by storm. I'm sure some of you may have seen it too? People are transforming themselves into pocket-sized dolls and action figures! Have any of you tried creating a doll replica of yourself? Blush Did the prompt work the first time?

While these AI creations can be entertaining, there's a significant environmental toll associated with using AI that many are unaware of. Recent stats reveal that only 16% of people are aware of the substantial water resources needed to cool the servers powering AI. For instance, estimates from the US indicate that ChatGPT consumes over one 500ml bottle of water per 100-word request. Shockingly, nearly one-third of the population mistakenly believes that crafting a 100-word email requires no water.

On a positive note, 60% of respondents would reduce their usage if they were aware of the significant energy usage required to run a request. As AI use and these trends continue to grow, more awareness is needed.

Professor  , Chair of the Sustainability and Net Zero Policy Centre, highlighted the escalating environmental and financial costs of AI adoption. He suggests that the public can take immediate steps to mitigate this impact by questioning the necessity of using these platforms and being precise with prompts to minimize errors and avoid repeated requests. Remember, generative AI tools are not search engines; they are specialized tools that should be used wisely.

We’re already aware of the benefits of recycling and conserving water by turning off taps when not in use. The next phase of consumer awareness involves being selective about the technology we use and optimizing its efficiency.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you considered the environmental impact of your AI usage? Let's discuss!

Oh yes.... and I couldn't resist..... Joy Blush

Parents

  • Hello Lisa:

    Regarding people transforming/representing themselves into alternate people/objects is nothing new.

    Actors have been doing this for thousands of years.

    What matters is who makes the decision as to what the transformation will be.

    Example the individual or the people they interface with.

    The current leader of China like to be known as a "wolf warrior".

    On the other hand, encounter management team building meetings usually begin by having team members assign an animal (dog cat fox etc) to each other, based on their previous interactions. 

    Peter Brooks

    Palm Bay 

  • in reply to Peter Brooks

    The reason AI works is because it has instant access to the internet data centres. Now it is the data centres that are storing huge quantities of written, GPS, scientific, medical, research, police, ectara information all of which is available on the web.

    To store all this information for instantaneous updating takes Megawatts of power and all of that power heats up the equipment which then needs cooling normally using air or in larger centres water flow heat exchangers which become steaming hot so loose water into the atmosphere.

    So why not use the heat to warm up apartment blocks or better still reduce the number to data centres to one per country, or one per industry, or one per bank, or one for medical research only.

    Why do web data centres have to hold all the web info instead of just the part they are interested in?

      

  • in reply to CliveS

    Hello Clive:

    There is an excellent article in the April 2025 IEEE Spectrum titled "Digital Archivists Strive to Save At-Risk (US) Federal Data" .

    The first sentence says " Shortly after the Trump administration took office in the United States in late January, more than 8,000 pages across several government  websites and databases - including pages from the National institute of Standards and research papers from the US department of Energy were taken down."

    This article then identifies what is being done to save these important sources and also what is being changed, if and when they reappear later on.

    The key to preserving the Internet's data is a principle that goes by the acronym LOCKSS: Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. Some of the copies are apparently kept in other locations outside of the US.

    Engineers should be educated in how politics can impact what actually happens in science or technology.

    Peter Brooks

    Palm Bay FL 

Reply
  • in reply to CliveS

    Hello Clive:

    There is an excellent article in the April 2025 IEEE Spectrum titled "Digital Archivists Strive to Save At-Risk (US) Federal Data" .

    The first sentence says " Shortly after the Trump administration took office in the United States in late January, more than 8,000 pages across several government  websites and databases - including pages from the National institute of Standards and research papers from the US department of Energy were taken down."

    This article then identifies what is being done to save these important sources and also what is being changed, if and when they reappear later on.

    The key to preserving the Internet's data is a principle that goes by the acronym LOCKSS: Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. Some of the copies are apparently kept in other locations outside of the US.

    Engineers should be educated in how politics can impact what actually happens in science or technology.

    Peter Brooks

    Palm Bay FL 

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