CelloMom On CarsJun 24, 2025

"Researchers in Germany tested 14 large language model (LLM) AI systems by asking them both free-response and multiple-choice questions. Complex questions produced up to six times more carbon dioxide emissions than questions with concise answers.
In addition, “smarter” LLMs with more reasoning abilities produced up to 50 times more carbon emissions than simpler systems to answer the same question, the study reported."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/22/climate/ai-prompt-carbon-emissions-environment-wellness

Your AI use could have a hidden environmental cost

As AI models become “smarter,” the environmental cost of using them may be rising. Your carbon footprint may come down to what questions you ask it.

CNN
Show threadCelloMom On CarsJun 24, 2025

Here is the research paper,
"Energy costs of communicating with AI"

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1572947/full

Thanks to @Ciclop for the link.

Frontiers | Energy costs of communicating with AI

This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental cost of large language models (LLMs) by analyzing their performance, token usage, and CO2...

Frontiers
Show threadCelloMom On CarsJun 28, 2025

"Google’s carbon emissions have soared by 51% since 2019 as [ "AI" ] hampers the tech company’s efforts to go green.

The International Energy Agency estimates that datacentres’ total electricity consumption could double from 2022 levels to 1,000TWh (terawatt hours) in 2026, approximately Japan’s level of electricity demand. AI will result in datacentres using 4.5% of global energy generation by 2030, according to calculations by the research firm SemiAnalysis."

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/27/google-emissions-ai-electricity-demand-derail-efforts-green

Google’s emissions up 51% as AI electricity demand derails efforts to go green

Increase influenced by datacentre growth, with estimated power required by 2026 equalling that of Japan’s

The Guardian
pt2121Jul 4, 2025
Show threadCelloMom On Cars

"Analysis by MIT Technology Review provides an unprecedented and comprehensive look at how much energy the AI industry uses—down to a single query—to trace where its carbon footprint stands now, and where it’s headed

The latest reports show that 4.4% of all the energy in the US now goes toward data centers.
Individuals may end up footing some of the bill for this AI revolution."

https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/

We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard.

The emissions from individual AI text, image, and video queries seem small—until you add up what the industry isn’t tracking and consider where it’s heading next.

MIT Technology Review
Jul 2, 2025 at 1:32pmWeb
Show threadCelloMom On CarsNov 26

"Surging demand for high-quality carbon removal credits from tech giants to offset their AI-driven emissions is helping fuel a shortage that experts say is exactly what is needed to spur investment in the nascent market.

Heavy buying over the last two years by companies including Microsoft and Google made the credits nearly four times more expensive in 2024 than lower-priced credits pegged to forest-preservation projects."

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/big-tech-led-demand-carbon-removal-credits-fuels-supply-crunch-2025-11-18/

Show threadThe Penguin of EvilJul 2, 2025
@CelloMomOnCars Same effectively happening in chunks of Europe. The market pricing scheme here is based in part on "everyone generator gets paid the highest bid price required to meet the demand for this time slot", which means AI and big data centres are actually pushing energy prices sky high for the public because they keep pushing the UK into needing to burn gas not just coast on renewables.
Show threadWulfy—Speaker to the machinesJul 2, 2025

@CelloMomOnCars

Bullshit article.
Likely generated by AI.

It does not disambiguate between "Data centres", Facebook, Dropbox, Reddit, etc etc etc. And AI model centres.

The breakdown is about 50/50.

Journalistic integrity is dead pretty much everywhery, but especially in the US it's got a stake through it's heart and is buried under a concrete slab 12 feet thick.