Balancing AI’s Environmental Impact and Benefits for Nonprofit Leaders

I have had many conversations with people concerned about AI’s environmental impact. It is true: AI has an impact on our planet, but the context and purpose of its use matter. 

AI and energy consumption 

The average search in Google’s Gemini spends “0.24 watt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of running a standard microwave for about one second,” and a ChatGPT search uses slightly more at 0.3 watt-hours. The bulk of energy use comes from AI training and infrastructure, not personal use. AI training is how chatbots “learn” about the world and how to respond to queries. The AI chatbots are fed massive data sets, then tested on response parameters. Using a Large Language Model (like ChatGPT) can consume a significant amount of energy because it requires the chatbot to interact with these datasets. 

Tasks like asking a chatbot to read a book and summarize it, or generate videos, use more energy than others. However, if you use a tailored AI, sometimes called a Small Language Model, that is not filtering through all of the data in the world, but pre-set parameters trained for a specific task, the energy use is far less.

The truth is that our infrequent or tailored use of AI will not have a significant impact on the overall energy demands of AI, most of which come from training data centers. However, neglecting to adopt AI tools could mean your nonprofit is spending invaluable human intelligence on tasks that AI could complete in moments. 

Importantly, AI is currently being optimized for efficient energy use. In the first thorough industry report, Google shared that in just a year, its AI chatbot Gemini used 33% less energy. The emergence of small language models, more efficient computer chips, and improved cooling in data centers all offer a future where AI is significantly more energy-efficient. It is a rare case where cost sustainability and climate sustainability actually align: all of these developments that make AI more energy-efficient also benefit companies' cost efficiency. This means that, unlike in other sectors, the AI industry has a real incentive to adopt more sustainable technologies in the near future. 

At this stage of rapid development, nonprofits and individuals worried about the environmental impact of AI can take agency by choosing responsible vendors who are transparent about carbon reporting and use sustainable materials in construction. 

Environmental impact 

Not only is the energy demand of AI set to decrease as the technology evolves, but AI itself can help us address energy and environmental concerns. Climate and energy experts have even predicted that using AI to address excess energy use could offset the amount of energy AI use demands. From making wind turbines more efficient to creating better climate models than ever before, scientists are excited about how AI can help them enhance their research and contribute to fighting climate change. 

Here at PlanPerfect, we have seen nonprofits doing critical environmental work adopt AI to help them function more efficiently and make faster progress towards their goals. Now they have more time to spend doing field research, negotiating with politicians, and educating their communities. 

AI and nonprofits

Using a tailored AI model could be instrumental in enabling nonprofit organizations to do more positive work. Many nonprofit organizations are run by individuals who care deeply about a specific issue area and possess a vast amount of knowledge about that issue, but may not have the training or bandwidth to undertake tasks such as creating a strategic plan, conducting a risk assessment, or leading donor prospect research. This is where using AI for specific tasks can free up time for tasks that only humans can do, because AI will never know the nuances of your community the way you do, it will never care about the environment the way you do, and it can not fight for important issues the way only you can. 

If you are a nonprofit leader, volunteer, or board member, there is a very good chance you are someone who cares deeply about the future of the world. While the environmental concerns about AI are certainly not unfounded, the tailored use of certain AI products to benefit your organization does not pose much more of an environmental threat than eating a beef product for lunch or driving your car an hour round trip for work. Even people who care deeply about the environment are likely to drive to work rather than spend hours walking there in the morning. It is about weighing the environmental cost of our behavior against the benefit it gives to our lives and our communities.  

Nonprofit organizations, especially those with small budgets, are experts at doing the most with the least. AI can provide major assistance to your organization and allow you to spend fewer hours on tasks that could be automated. This frees up time and capacity for community-centered work that only humans can do.