By Marc Tamer, Year 12
Globally, an estimated 1.5 billion people use artificial intelligence every month. In a world where climate change and emissions remain among the greatest challenges of our society, it is clear that we can no longer make compromises when it comes to our planet. Despite being an excellent tool for increasing worker productivity, artificial intelligence carries many hidden, severe ramifications for the Earth and our climate.
In a world where creative solutions are needed to combat the effects of climate change, humanity must be more innovative than ever. This innovation stems from the experiences and ideas developed during childhood and early adulthood, which build the necessary competencies to foster future breakthroughs. Many argue that artificial intelligence is resulting in the loss of crucial human skills, such as creativity and problem-solving. Because AI is beginning to generate ideas for humans, we are losing the firsthand experience of working through problems. The competencies of creativity and problem-solving are exactly what we need most right now to improve the state of our planet, yet AI is robbing humanity of these vital development opportunities.
Generative AI also comes with heavy environmental consequences, particularly regarding energy and water consumption. For example, during the training phase, a tool like ChatGPT consumes massive amounts of energy, and subsequently produces higher emissions, due to the billions of parameters required to run such a program. A significant amount of water is also used to cool the hardware, straining local water supplies and ecosystems. Furthermore, once generative AI models are trained, their energy demands do not disappear; every response generated consumes five times more energy than a simple web search. Because users rarely think about these hidden consequences while interacting with AI, there is limited incentive to cut down on its usage. This issue is compounded by the fact that new generative AI models are released frequently, requiring continuous, energy-intensive training cycles.
Ultimately, while artificial intelligence offers undeniable efficiency, its environmental toll and impact on human creativity cannot be ignored. To secure a sustainable future, society must balance technological advancement with the preservation of our planet and our own innate problem-solving abilities.
Works Cited
AI. “DataReportal – Global Digital Insights.” DataReportal – Global Digital Insights, 15 Oct. 2025, datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-one-billion-people-using-ai.
Zewe, Adam. “Explained: Generative AI’s Environmental Impact.” MIT News, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 17 Jan. 2025, news.mit.edu/2025/explained-generative-ai-environmental-impact-0117.
