OpenAI's ChatGPT was the fastest-growing web platform just two months after its launch in 2022 — and its popularity even led to a South Park episode dedicated to its cultural takeover.
However, ChatGPT has a dark side, and after a Redditor raised the issue in the r/Anticonsumption community, a passionate discussion ensued.
"Does it drive anyone else crazy seeing how many everyday people use ChatGPT for literally everything!!" the original poster vented. "People are so nonchalant about it and act as if it's just like Googling something when it actually is horrible for the environment."
They added that they don't hesitate to openly discuss the problem, and they realized many people don't know just how much energy one query takes.
According to Goldman Sachs, a single ChatGPT query requires 10 times more energy than a Google search. Unfortunately, dirty fuels generate much of that power — a worrying proposition given that gas, oil, and coal spew toxic fumes when burned and are the primary reason why the planet is overheating at a dangerous rate.
"Why must the worst things for our planet be oh so popular and integrated into the cultural zeitgeist??" the OP asked.
Several Redditors were surprised to discover that ChatGPT queries were so energy-intensive, in addition to learning from others in the discussion thread that AI data centers also use massive amounts of water to cool their systems.
"Its impact is beyond devastating," a commenter wrote.
One person suggested that all of that resource use was practically for nothing, as the spread of false information is rampant among AI platforms. "People use [ChatGPT] like it's Google to answer extremely simple questions and still get the answer wrong," they wrote.
Indeed, in one case, being unaware of ChatGPT's pitfalls may have led to an embarrassing and career-damaging snafu. In 2023, a judge sanctioned two New York lawyers who filed a legal brief with six case citations fabricated by the AI chatbot, per Reuters.
Commenters also shared more holistic perspectives on the matter. Some highlighted why responsible resource consumption could ultimately create a better future for everyone.
"I think part of the issue is that people are afraid of losing the privileges and comforts they currently enjoy. The irony is that this very refusal to let go of environmentally harmful habits is what will ultimately cause them to lose the comforts," one Redditor suggested.
Others lamented how ChatGPT overuse overshadowed AI's potential benefits, such as more accurate weather forecasting.
"There's so much good use we could put this technology to, but instead we just waste it," another Redditor said.
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