By: Nora Scarbro 

ChatGPT is a resource used by millions of people everyday. It is an AI chatbot with a very diverse array of usages. According to IBM, “It uses natural language processing (NLP) to hold lifelike conversations with users and generate content including articles, text summaries, advice and more.”

It can be used to make a difficult decision or help pick a dinner spot for the evening. But here at Bellbrook High School, it’s mostly used by students to help with school work.

“I’ve used it twice this year,” junior Max Brueggeman said. “One is to come up with research questions for my year long AP language synthesis essay project. And the other one is to come up  with a title for a different essay I wrote.”

In order to accomplish all of these things, chatGPT uses an abundance of energy from many different sources. According to Earth.org, “Microsoft used approximately 700,000 litres of freshwater during GPT-3’s training in its data centres.”

Water is used to cool down the hardware needed to run chatGPT programs. This specific source of energy depletes water sources, having an impact on the environment as well as humans. 

Another effect on the environment is the carbon dioxide emissions. Earth.org also said, “According to estimates, ChatGPT emits 8.4 tons of carbon dioxide per year, more than twice the amount that is emitted by an individual, which is 4 tons per year.” This specific effect of chatGPT is a leading cause in questioning chatGPT’s effects. Carbon dioxide admission is one of the leading causes of global warming and does long-lasting damage to the environment. 

 “Its energy sources and water are the two big concerns,” Bellbrook science teacher Dawn Dyer said. “But I’m hoping that since those concerns are known, that they will come up with some technology to minimize it.”