“Asking an AI chatbot a question consumes a great deal more energy than finding the answer via simple web search or calculator. It adds extra demand for no good reason... a bit like driving to the shops in an SUV instead of riding your bike.”

Or driving any kind of car. AI, like cars, aims to reconfigure everyday life in a way that’s vastly more energy-hungry and polluting… and profitable for a few.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/13/ai-datacentres-environmental-impacts