Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days; ecological entrepreneurs do not escape it either. However, AI guzzles both energy and water, and that rightly raises questions. Still, you can use artificial intelligence in a green way. In this article, you’ll get tips on how to use tools like ChatGPT responsibly.
In this article you will learn:
- What the environmental impact of AI is.
- How to use AI sustainably as an entrepreneur.
- Practical tips to reduce your carbon footprint when using AI tools.
Environmental impact of AI: how big is the ecological footprint?
AI models like ChatGPT or Perplexity require enormous amounts of computing power. That’s because the data centers, which keep these tools running, require gigantic amounts of energy. On top of that, they also need to be cooled with an enormous amount of water. Also, in many cases, these servers run on non-renewable energy.
And this is reflected in the digital ecological footprint of individual users. Estimates from 2024 suggest that a single ChatGPT query consumes about 25 times more energy than a Google search. However, according to publications by AI sustainability experts, generating a single AI image can require as much energy as fully charging a smartphone.
Why use AI at all if you want to work sustainably?
It’s quite simple: as a green entrepreneur, you can’t avoid using AI. Even if only because Gemini starts working behind the scenes as soon as you type a query into Google. You’ll recognize Gemini by the automatically generated AI summary that appears as an answer to your question or search term in Google.
Still, even as a sustainable entrepreneur, you can use AI in your sustainable workflow. Here are some examples of sustainable use of AI:
- Making your business more sustainable: online tools like ChatGPT can give you tips on how to make your business even more ecological. Try this prompt: “I am a sustainable photographer with a target audience in the Netherlands and Belgium. Please give me five immediately applicable and achievable tips to reduce my ecological footprint.”
- Less waste of time and resources: you can create a first draft of texts, graphics and presentations. That means less trial-and-error, fewer lost hours and less energy and material costs.
- Work more efficiently: you can use AI for administration, scheduling or designs for content creation, allowing you to work more productively. This can lead to less travel time to meetings and less need for outside services.
Three strategies for sustainable use of AI
1. Do I really need AI?
As a sustainable entrepreneur, always ask yourself this question before you decide to use ChatGPT. For basic searching, you can use search engines like Google, or even better, Ecosia. Still can’t figure it out? Then reach for an AI tool like ChatGPT or Perplexity.
Do you already know the green search engine? Read all about Ecosia here.
2. Targeted prompting
Assuming AI requires a lot of computing power, it’s best to give it the clearest possible instruction right away.
So not: “I run a zero-waste webshop aimed at young families. I want to use AI to create educational content for Instagram to help parents make more conscious choices.”
But do: “Write an Instagram caption of 100 words max in which I explain to young parents how AI helps me save time and share sustainable tips. Keep the tone light-hearted, friendly and informative. End with an emoji and a call-to-action that invites response.”
That way, you may only need to prompt once instead of multiple times. This significantly reduces your ecological footprint.
3. Generate as few AI images as possible
Now that you know creating AI illustrations is so energy-intensive, it’s best to think twice before deciding whether you want to do it at all.
Yet it can be used sustainably in these ways:
- Moodboard for photographers: tools like Midjourney allow you to develop an initial idea before an assignment. This speeds up the workflow and reduces waste and displacement.
- Educational illustrations without additional material consumption: this can be very useful for online and offline teaching materials. Teachers, so feel free to go ahead.
Stock photos are also not the best option for sustainable entrepreneurs. Read why it’s better not to use stock photos and what you can do.
This is how I work with AI as a sustainable web designer and photographer
Since sustainability is the main pillar of my business, I therefore try to use AI as ecologically as possible. I do this in the following way:
1. Searches: as little AI as possible
As little AI as possible: truly, handcrafted work over robot work. Still, I’m not living under a rock, and I do use AI too. But I only turn to it as a last resort when searching. I mainly stick to Ecosia and Google. If that doesn’t get me the answer, then I go to AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity.
2. Photo editing: AI is in Lightroom and Photoshop
Using AI for photo editing is very handy. For example, to remove an object and fill the resulting empty space generatively. That means, for instance, I indicate on a photo that I want to remove an electrical outlet from the wall, and the AI in Lightroom or Photoshop fills in the correct wallpaper pattern in the right spot. One small difference between these photo editing programs: Lightroom decides the generative fill automatically, while in Photoshop you, as the image creator, can provide targeted prompts.
But again, first I see if I can replace this manually (using the clone or retouch functions). Is that possible? Then I don’t need AI, like for removing skin imperfections in a photo.
3. Review translations and suggest improvements
As a web designer and photographer in Brussels, I often work in English and French. I write texts in these languages myself. However, because these are not my mother tongues, I sometimes have them proofread by ChatGPT. I ask this AI program to detect any errors and write suggestions for improvement. ChatGPT does not write entire texts for me, but rather makes some suggestions to improve a text in English or French.
4. Help with blogs
To be clear: I write my blogs myself (so does this blog). But AI does occasionally help me with the following:
- Coming up with titles, which I then rewrite.
- Checking if my blog is easily findable in search engines and AI. Are there areas for improvement? Then AI will give them to me.
5. Research on sustainable business practices
You can find a lot online and in the professional literature, but sometimes AI is just a step ahead of us sustainable entrepreneurs in our thought process. For example, ChatGPT helped me a lot with sustainable issues:
- What is the most sustainable mode of transportation for the Paris – Marseille route? Compare following options based on CO2 emissions: car, bus, regular high-speed train, low-budget high-speed train and classic night train. Answer: the low-budget fast train turned out to be the most energy efficient.
- As a sustainable entrepreneur, how can I use ChatGPT as sustainably as possible? Answer: ChatGPT itself started with me about focused prompting and as little experimentation as possible.
- Which is more sustainable? Working with local clients from Brussels and the surrounding area or having conversations through Teams with clients who live further away? Answer: as long as I travel by bicycle or public transportation, my trips are lower in CO2 than meeting via Teams.
Future: AI and sustainability can go hand in hand
Artificial intelligence will become increasingly important for sustainable entrepreneurs. Sustainability and AI can certainly go hand in hand. Innovations in green energy and more energy-efficient data centers are examples of this. When sustainable entrepreneurs use AI consciously, critically, and creatively, they not only reduce their own ecological footprint but can also take a leading role in developing a world where powerful technology and sustainability go hand in hand. The coming years promise to be very interesting.