The Hidden Cost of A.I.: Water, Energy, and Environmental Impact
Artificial intelligence has transformed students’ daily lives. And often in many ways we don’t expect. While we are all familiar with ChatGPT, A.I. is also used for learning, curating personalized social media feeds, and even finding new music or shows. In fact, when we asked more than 2,200 9th to 12th-grade students which type of artificial intelligence they use the most frequently, they told us through content recommendations like Spotify’s A.I. DJ or YouTube’s suggested videos. But as A.I. is embedded into our lives, are students aware of the environmental cost of using this technology?
Did you know that a single 100-word email generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT (using GPT-4) consumes over 519 milliliters of water? That’s just over a standard bottle of water. This is because A.I. systems rely on massive data centers that use water for cooling their powerful servers.
The Environmental Impact of A.I.
The environmental toll is growing. In its sustainability report, Microsoft revealed a 34% spike in global water consumption between 2021 and 2022, while Google’s water usage rose by 20% in the same period. “It’s fair to say that the majority of that growth is due to A.I.,” said Shaolei Ren, a researcher at UC Riverside. These findings are substantial, especially as wildfires and water shortages around the world underscore the need for conservation.
A.I. is an amazing tool, but data centers running A.I. need a ton of energy to function and plenty of water to keep the systems cool. As A.I. use grows, so does its impact on the environment. It’s worth asking: does every task really need A.I. power? The good news is A.I. can also help with sustainability, like predicting climate trends or improving water use in farming. By being smart about when and how we use it, we can make sure A.I. is doing more good than harm.
TSI’s Take
The environmental cost of A.I. reminds us to use technology thoughtfully and intentionally. Just as we teach students to conserve water and energy at home, we can also encourage them to think critically about their tech habits. Are they using A.I. tools because they’re helpful, or just because they’re convenient? By promoting this mindset, we can equip students with key modern skills, like using A.I. effectively and being mindful of the environment.
Here are some practical tips to discuss with your students:
- Think before you click: Not every task requires A.I. Simple solutions might be more efficient and sustainable.
- Conserve resources: Encourage students to power down devices when not in use and explore the environmental impact of their favorite apps or tools.
- Explore A.I.’s potential for good: Highlight examples of A.I. being used to tackle environmental challenges, like tracking wildfires or optimizing renewable energy.
Looking for more ways to inspire responsible tech use? Check out the Grade 5 #WinAtSocial Lesson, Being guardians of the globe: our one-of-a-kind home.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in equipping students to navigate learning & well-being in a tech-fueled world. Through #WinAtSocial, our interactive, peer-to-peer learning platform, we empower students, educators, and families to make high-character choices online and offline. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach essential skills while capturing student voice and actionable insights for educators. These insights help educators maintain a healthy school culture, foster high-impact teaching, and build meaningful relationships with families. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips students authentically, enabling our solution to increase classroom participation and improve student-teacher relationships. Through our one-of-a-kind lesson development process, we create lessons for a variety of core and elective classes, incorporating timely topics such as social media, A.I., screen time, misinformation, and current events to help schools stay proactive in supporting student health, happiness, and academic success.