"When it comes to artificial intelligence, more intensive computing uses more energy, producing more greenhouse gases."
"From uninvited results at the top of your search engine queries to offering to write your emails and helping students do homework, generative A.I. is quickly becoming part of daily life as tech giants race to develop the most advanced models and attract users.
All those prompts come with an environmental cost: A report last year from the Energy Department found A.I. could help increase the portion of the nation’s electricity supply consumed by data centers from 4.4 percent to 12 percent by 2028. To meet this demand, some power plants are expected to burn more coal and natural gas.
And some chatbots are linked to more greenhouse gas emissions than others. A study published Thursday in the journal Frontiers in Communication analyzed different generative A.I. chatbots’ capabilities and the planet-warming emissions generated from running them. Researchers found that chatbots with bigger “brains” used exponentially more energy and also answered questions more accurately — up until a point."
Sachi Kitajima Mulkey reports for the New York Times with graphics by Harry Stevens June 19, 2025.
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