Simon WillisonApr 29, 2025

I'm glad somebody out there is brave enough to push back against the "personal ChatGPT usage is terrible for the environment" message https://andymasley.substack.com/p/a-cheat-sheet-for-conversations-about

"If you want to prompt ChatGPT 40 times, you can just stop your shower 1 second early."

"If I choose not to take a flight to Europe, I save 3,500,000 ChatGPT searches. this is like stopping more than 7 people from searching ChatGPT for their entire lives."

Using ChatGPT is not bad for the environment - a cheat sheet

The numbers clearly show this is a pointless distraction for the climate movement

Andy Masley
Show threadMark EinonApr 29, 2025
@simon this doesn't take I to account the model training hardware cost? Much like counting the petrol used, but not the environmental cost of making the car, so a bit flawed.
Show threadSimon WillisonApr 29, 2025
@einonm that's included in the estimate here: https://andymasley.substack.com/p/a-cheat-sheet-for-conversations-about#§training-an-ai-model-uses-too-much-energy - as a 10% increase in cost-per-prompt after amortization over all of the usage
Using ChatGPT is not bad for the environment - a cheat sheet

The numbers clearly show this is a pointless distraction for the climate movement

Andy Masley
Show threadMark EinonApr 29, 2025
@simon that's the energy cost to run the hardware, not the hardware cost itself?
Show threadSimon WillisonApr 29, 2025
@einonm you mean the cost to build the data centers? I haven't seen numbers on that - I wonder if that's a meaningful share of overall energy usage per-prompt or not, like is it a 5% increase or does it 2x or 3x the cost?
Show threadMark EinonApr 29, 2025
@simon ISTR some stat of building a new EV costs 10 years of running the petrol car that it replaces, so potentially more than 2 or 3 times
Show threadSimon Willison
@einonm I would guess that stat is heavily influenced by the enormous energy cost involved in producing batteries for EVs
Apr 29, 2025 at 5:55pmWeb
Show threadMark EinonApr 29, 2025
@simon it also highlights that buying a new EV isn't necessarily good for the environment. More consumerism is rarely the answer.
Show threadMark EinonApr 29, 2025
@simon I'm also going to add that the author looks to be very much involved with the billionaire type through the 'Effective Altruism' philosophy, that doesn't look great for his credibility in pushing these arguments.