Fewer Words, Fewer Emissions — Reduce Digital Waste with Smarter Searches and AI Use

The Small Action: Be Intentional and Brief in Your Online Interactions

Every time you search online or type a long question to an AI chatbot, it uses real-world energy. It may seem invisible, but the carbon impact of our digital habits is growing. One simple, powerful way to reduce that impact? Type less, search smarter, and keep it concise when chatting with AI.

Why It Matters

This small behavior shift supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, which encourages using the Earth’s resources more efficiently — and yes, that includes your clicks, queries, and keystrokes.

Digital Consumption is Resource-Intensive

• AI Chatbots Require Even More Energy: Every word processed by large AI models like ChatGPT requires significant computing power. Reducing a conversation by just 100 tokens (≈75 words) can cut 15–30% of the energy used per interaction (MLCommons).
• Carbon Cost of Computation: Research from Stanford University shows that training and running AI models can emit tens to hundreds of metric tons of CO₂, depending on size and use (Stanford HAI).
• Data Centers Use ~1–1.5% of Global Electricity: According to the International Energy Agency, data centers consumed an estimated 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2022 — more than the entire UK (IEA, 2023).

How to Do It

You don’t have to go offline — just be a smarter digital citizen. Here’s how:

Be Concise with AI Chatbots

• Skip greetings like “Hi” or “Thanks.”
• Be direct: Instead of “Can you give me some suggestions on how to save energy?”, try “Energy-saving tips?”
• Avoid fluff and sign-offs — AI doesn’t need small talk.
• Combine questions into one message to limit back-and-forth.

Search Smarter

• Use specific keywords instead of full questions.
• Avoid re-Googling the same thing — bookmark useful pages.
• Ask yourself: Do I really need to search this?

Set Digital Boundaries

• Limit habitual or curiosity-driven queries.
• Schedule a “search detox” hour each day.
• Use offline resources when possible (e.g., notes, downloaded PDFs).

Why It’s Worth It

• If just 1 million people reduced their daily chatbot messages by 100 tokens and avoided 10 unnecessary searches, the annual savings could power over 150 U.S. homes for a year (EIA).

• Multiplied across millions, these small choices dramatically reduce the electricity demand on data centers — and cut carbon emissions at the source.

Bottom Line

A few less words. A few less clicks. A lot more impact.

Start today — the next time you search or chat with AI, be mindful, be brief, and be part of the climate solution.

Type less. Waste less. Power a cleaner internet!