Some young Australians are rejecting popular generative AI tools, refusing to use ChatGPT or Google Gemini for fear of what it could mean for the planet.
It’s no secret that powerful generative AI models have environmental consequences.
A single ChatGPT query consumes nearly 10 times as much energy as a typical Google search, and it takes about half a litre of water to process 20 to 50 queries.
Senior lecturer at RMIT University’s School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, Dr Ascelin Gordon admitted that might not sound like a big deal for an individual.
“But collectively, everyone doing it is hugely significant,” he told 9news.com.au.
And for some Australians, that’s a big problem.
More than 75 per cent of Australians aged 16-25 are worried about climate change and two-thirds say climate concerns are having a negative impact on youth mental health.
They’re also the demographic most likely to be affected by the consequences of climate change, so experts aren’t surprised that some are opting out of the AI revolution.
“Young people are thinking really deeply about how to live well in a world that’s increasingly fraught with environmental crises,” postdoctoral fellow at the Black Dog Institute Dr Chloe Watfern told 9news.
“Unfortunately, they have been forced into a position of resisting.”
The environmental impact of generative AI
Yes, AI can support climate science and potentially groundbreaking environmental research.
It also has the potential to do serious damage.
Generative AI models need massive computational power to train and run them, so they rely on data centres – buildings full of computer servers – that churn through huge amounts of electricity all over the globe.
Data centres consumed about 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2022 alone, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). All of Australia consumed less than 300TWh that same year.
By comparison, all of Australia consumed less than 300TWh that same year.
While some data centres are connected to renewable energy sources or take other measures to limit their environmental impact, it’s still significant – and it’s growing.
Data centres could consume between 600TWh and 1,000TWh by 2026, per the IEA.
That’s equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of France or Japan.
They also require huge amounts of water to keep cool, and produce significant electronic waste (e-waste) because parts need to be regularly replaced.
It’s important to note that data centres were around long before the AI boom and are used to support everything from cloud computing, to e-commerce, and social media but demand for them has exploded since the rise of generative AI.
And while Australians concerned about the environmental impacts can choose not to support tools like ChatGPT, some AI models are harder to avoid.
Google now displays AI summaries at the top of most searches and social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram use AI to fuel their algorithms.
“You have no choice about that. If you use Google, you’re getting the generative AI summary whether you want it or not,” Gordon said.
Eco-anxiety rates are rising as young Australians grapple with the climate crisis and contributors like the AI boom.
Many experience feelings of distress, helplessness and grief over environmental issues, which can progress into serious mental health concerns.
The lingering lack of awareness among mental health professionals on how to treat eco-anxiety can also make it difficult for people to get help.
“It can become debilitating,” Watfern said.
Given the environmental impacts of AI, she’s not surprised that some young people are responding with anxiety, concern or resistance.
”Young people are actively finding ways to to resist … and they’re pointing the blame squarely where it should be, on governments and big corporations,” Watfern said.
“There’s a sense of being let down or even betrayed, and a lot of well deserved anger.”
About 80 per cent of Gen Z university students are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ about climate change and almost 40 per cent are involved in climate activism.
Many are demanding that those in charge, be it governments or corporations, take meaningful action to solve climate change.
But it’s not up to Gen Z alone to solve the climate crisis and many suffer burnout as a result of campaigning for change that is slow to come.
In an ideal future, Gordon wants to see AI companies adopt energy and water efficiency ratings like those found on household appliances so consumers can make informed decisions about their use.
He also advocates for businesses to be required to produce regular, transparent sustainability reports.
”There’s no cut and dry, easy answer to all this. The main thing is just for people to be aware of the environmental considerations of AI,” Gordon said.
”For people to consciously reduce their footprint by renouncing use of generative AI … is certainly a good and inspiring thing.”
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Watfern advocates for accurate and psychologically safe climate education for young Australians as eco-anxiety rates continue to rise.
She also joined more than 100 mental health professionals, doctors, educators, researchers, and youth leaders who spoke out against misinformation around climate change and distress in an open letter last week.
“It is not climate science education that is causing distress, but the lived experience of climate change itself, and the failure of leaders to act,” the letter read.
Watfern hopes that in the years to come, leaders will act in the best interests of the young people who will one day soon inherit this planet.
