Lesson 216 of 1169
AI and the Environment
Running AI uses a LOT of electricity and water.
Explorers · Ethics & Society · ~7 min read
AI and the Environment
Running AI uses a LOT of electricity and water. Big AI data centers can use as much power as small cities.
Each ChatGPT question uses about 10x more energy than a Google search.
Three things to know
- AI has real environmental costs
- Some companies are better than others
- Small thoughtful uses help (don't ask AI to write your name 1,000 times for fun)
Key terms in this lesson
The big idea: AI has environmental costs. Thoughtful use is better than constant use.
Practice this safely
Try this with a low-stakes example and a trusted adult nearby. The goal is to notice how AI talks about data center, not to let it make the decision for you.
- 1Ask AI to explain data center in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
- 2Give it one detail from "AI and the Environment" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
- 3Check energy use against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.
End-of-lesson quiz
Check what stuck
8 questions · Score saves to your progress.
Lesson help
Questions are best handled with a grown-up here.
For this age range, Tendril keeps freeform AI chat paused until parent/guardian consent and child-safe moderation are fully verified. Use the quiz, notes, and related lessons below, or ask a parent, guardian, teacher, or librarian to work through the question with you.
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