OPINION: Rethinking AI’s Environmental Impact
By Brittney Haldorsen ‘25
Courtesy of Istock
As the planet inches closer to irreversible climate catastrophe, many people are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for answers. But what if the very tools they rely on to solve one of humanity's greatest challenges are contributing to the problem?
Data centers, which power AI systems, are huge energy consumers. According to a report from Deloitte, they account for approximately 2% of the global electricity demand–a figure which is expected to rise as technological use increases. The computational power needed to generate a single AI response might seem minor in isolation, but when scaled across millions of users and billions of queries, the impact is staggering.
AI’s energy consumption doesn’t just involve electricity; it also uses significant amounts of water. Data centers rely on large amounts of water to cool their systems, and these cooling processes can contribute to the hidden environmental cost of AI.
For example, the real-world environmental cost of AI use, TechRepublic states, “If one in 10 working Americans (about 16 million people) write a single 100-word email with Chat GPT weekly for a year, it would require 435,235,476 liters of water. That number is roughly equivalent to all of the water consumed in Rhode Island over a day and a half.” Such figures illustrate the environmental costs tied to AI’s widespread usage.
While AI’s potential to solve climate issues–like optimizing energy consumption or modeling climate scenarios–is frequently discussed, these solutions remain at odds with the massive energy demands required to run AI systems. The energy it takes to process an AI query could be better spent on more direct, low-carbon applications that have a tangible impact on reducing emissions. The obsession with “smart solutions” is not without consequences.
“It is important for us to recognize the CO2 emissions of some of these large AI systems especially,” said Jesse Dodge in an article with SCIAM, a research scientist at the Allen Institute for AI in Seattle. Dodge’s point underscores a crucial element in the conversation: AI, while offering solutions to climate challenges, also poses its own environmental risks, particularly through its carbon emissions.”
Some experts argue AI can help mitigate climate change, according to the Environmental Change Institute, AI has the potential to optimize energy usage across industries, identify patterns in climate data, and even design more sustainable technologies. If harnessed correctly, the same technology that drives AI chat boxes could be used to solve the very crisis they help to create.
Many users, particularly students at Catlin Gabel School (CGS), enjoy the benefits of AI while being blissfully unaware of AI’s hidden costs. A survey of the school’s students revealed that most respondents were unaware of the impact of their AI usage on the climate. This lack of awareness highlights a critical issue: we are consuming vast amounts of digital information with little regard for the energy required to produce it.
This ignorance isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it is a dangerous blind spot that could undermine climate action. The reality is that AI tools–while convenient–are designed to encourage constant interaction. The more we use them, the more energy they consume and the greater their environmental toll.
So the question remains: Should we be more responsible with our use of AI? It’s time to rethink our reliance on AI. While they provide ease and accessibility, their environmental costs are too significant to ignore.
The next time you consider turning to an AI chatbot, ask yourself: Could you do the research on your own? Is the 20 minutes you're saving by having Chat GPT write an email or essay worth the cost on the planet?
As digital natives, Gen Z is uniquely positioned to take responsibility for the consequences of our consumption. While AI has its merits, it's crucial that we recognize and mitigate its environmental impact. As we push for climate action, we must also advocate for sustainable digital practices–our future depends on both.