There is no denying that one of the biggest technology stories of the year has been the increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is becoming more challenging to find ways in which AI has not touched nearly every facet of the tech industry. However, the technology is not without its faults. Here is a look at how you can be smart about how you use AI.

How AI is Straining Power Grids

Environmentalists are growing increasingly worried about how AI is straining power grids and generating harmful emissions. Being thoughtful about the degree to which you lean on this technology can help to protect the environment. But how?

The carbon cost of using chatbots to answer a text question is generally measured in grams of CO2. This is roughly 0.0000001% of an average American’s annual carbon footprint. So while a random question does not matter at all, thousands of queries per year can add up over time. The impact is compounded when you consider the millions of people using AI each day to answer questions, provide photos, videos, and more.

Experts warn that the data centers that host these models use more electricity than entire cities. In addition to the strain on power grids, the computers needed to run AI also use fresh water to keep cool. Estimates come in at about one bottle of water for every 100 words of text produced by ChatGPT.

Computer scientists who study the energy needs of AI technology recommend that users be discerning with their use of AI chatbots. Use AI when it makes sense to do so, rather than using the technology for basic tasks that do not require this advanced level of thought. For example, it is easy to find a store's operating hours simply by using a search engine instead of an AI model. For context, a simple Google search uses approximately 10 times less energy than a ChatGPT query, according to a report from Goldman Sachs.

Conversely, it may be more prudent to rely on AI if you have a more complex problem to solve, need to summarize or translate text, or have other demanding needs. In addition, there are times when using AI may actually be less of a burden on the environment than doing the task yourself. For instance, an AI model can generate a page of text in mere seconds. A human typing their own version could take hours on a laptop, producing more CO2 pollution than using AI.

Deciding Which AI Model to Use

As the technology becomes more advanced and prolific, more and more AI models are coming onto the scene. As one of the premier models, ChatGPT allows paying users to go back and forth between its default model and its more powerful versions. There are times when the smaller o4-mini model is enough to solve the problem at hand, reducing the need to lean on the more powerful versions.

A recent study that looked at the performance of 14 AI language models from companies such as Meta, DeepSeek, and Alibaba found that there is often a trade-off between energy use, size, and accuracy. While bigger models tend to give more accurate answers, they also use significantly more energy than their smaller counterparts. This means that there is always a trade-off when deciding which models to use. Most experts recommend using a small model for simpler tasks and going with more robust versions if you have a complicated problem to solve.

Regardless of the type of model that you choose, you can save energy by asking the chatbot to be concise if you do not need a long answer. Keeping your own questions short will naturally encourage shorter answers, as the models use more energy with every extra word they spit out. Keep in mind that AI does not discern manners. Thus, it is not necessary to exchange pleasantries such as "please" and "thank you" in your queries.

It is also important to remember that not all of AI's uses are obvious. Users lean on the technology every time they open a social media feed, email, and more. In short, users not intentionally using models such as ChatGPT are still harnessing the power of AI even if they do not realize it. This puts the onus on companies using AI to be responsible with its use in an effort to reduce damage to the environment.

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