In the age of artificial intelligence, it seems that what we once called “common sense” is now being outsourced to machines—large, powerful, energy-hungry machines. The ease with which we type a question into ChatGPT and receive an instant answer hides a deeper truth: the environment is footing the bill for our convenience.

Artificial Intelligence, especially large language models like ChatGPT and image generation engines like Midjourney, consume massive amounts of electricity and gallons of water to stay cool.

According to a study by the University of California, training a single large AI model can emit over 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent—that’s roughly five times the lifetime emissions of an average car. A 2023 report by Bloomberg revealed that Microsoft’s AI data centres in the US consumed nearly 1.7 billion liters of water in a single year just to cool their systems. And these are the early days of AI; the expansion is only accelerating.

Let........

© Business Recorder