A Data Center. Is the environmental cost really worth it for a few viral posts?
Credit: Wikipedia
You’ve probably spotted it by now — mates or influencers popping up on your feed as tiny action figures, boxed up like toys and surrounded by quirky little props. It’s all a bit of fun on the surface, but some people are sounding the alarm about what’s going on behind the scenes.
Creating these AI-generated images isn’t as harmless as it looks. Tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney or Copilot need huge data centres to function — we’re talking buildings crammed with servers running non-stop. And all that tech takes a serious amount of electricity and water to keep cool and operational.
In fact, some experts reckon the energy used by the AI industry could soon rival that of an entire country like the Netherlands. On top of that, many of these systems rely on water-based cooling, where large quantities of water are used — and lost — in the process of keeping the servers from overheating.
While some tech companies are looking into greener alternatives, the sheer demand for AI content is growing fast. And that’s got plenty of people asking: is the environmental cost really worth it for a few viral posts?
“We joke in my house that every time we create one of these AI memes, a tree dies,” said TechRadar editor Lance Ulanoff. “It’s an exaggeration, of course – but not without truth.”
Every time you use an AI tool, you’re tapping into a massive web of technology behind the scenes — and it’s thirstier than you might think.
AI tools like ChatGPT rely on huge data centres packed with thousands of servers. These machines get extremely hot, so they need proper cooling systems to keep things running smoothly.
One common method is water-based cooling, where water passes through towers, absorbs the heat from the servers, and then evaporates. It works well, but it uses a surprising amount of water. In fact, tools like ChatGPT can use around half a litre of water for every 5 to 50 interactions.
Álvaro Peña, an expert in artificial intelligence, told: “People don’t realise just how much water is used to generate a single AI image — let alone that just a few interactions could cost half a litre.”
He also points out that it’s not just the cooling we should be thinking about. “There are other stages that also demand water — like chip manufacturing and even the energy generation needed to run these systems — but those rarely get counted in the overall footprint.”
So, while asking an AI to draw you as a cartoon or write your emails might seem harmless, it all adds up — not just in data, but in water too.
But that’s not the only thing raising eyebrows. To train these AI systems, companies often pull in huge amounts of content from the internet — including copyrighted work — and it’s not always clear if the original creators gave permission or got paid for it. Then there’s the problem of bias. Because these tools learn from whatever’s out there online, they can end up repeating stereotypes or spreading dodgy information without anyone noticing.
Still, the trend shows no signs of slowing down. People upload a selfie, jot down a few instructions — maybe they want to appear as a superhero, or have their job title printed on the box — and the AI does the rest. The end result? A mini version of themselves, packaged up like a Barbie or Action Man figure, ready to be shared online.
It’s not always accurate – many users have shared hilarious results where the doll looks nothing like them. But the novelty is enough to keep people coming back, and brands have caught on too. Everyone from beauty companies to the Royal Mail has jumped in on the act.
“Just because something’s trending doesn’t mean we all need to do it,” says one activist. “We should be thinking more critically about how we use tech – especially when the planet’s paying the price.”
Trends come and go, but the environmental damage could linger. So before turning yourself into a doll, it might be worth considering whether the momentary fun is worth the long-term cost.
