I Built an AI That Tells You How Much Water It Just Drank
In June the UN asked every major AI company to publish its water footprint. Most still haven’t. So I built the version that does. Ask ChatGPT a question and something happens that nobody puts on the receipt. Somewhere, a server heats up. Somewhere else, a cooling tower evaporates water to carry that heat away. And somewhere further back — usually much further back — a power plant burns through…
In June, the UN urged major AI companies to disclose their water footprints, but most have yet to comply. This reporter built a unique AI solution to address this issue. When you ask JSTJO an AI question, it tracks the water usage behind the scenes. ChatGPT or similar models require energy to run, and that energy often relies on water, making the water footprint invisible to users.
JSTJO visualizes this cost by using a visible counter that deducts water with each answer, essentially reminding users of the environmental impact of their queries. The counter starts at 50 drops per month and can be refilled through various means within the app. Not only does this create awareness, but JSTJO also donates 5% of its proceeds to clean water projects, ensuring users can track the impact of their queries.
The AI assistant can answer any question, search the web, and access user files, but the added transparency prompts users to be more mindful of their water consumption.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
