We started Good with AI to help people build confidence with AI so they can have a positive impact in their work and on people and planet.

But what if that good work is undermined by the impact of our AI use on our fragile natural world?

This is a big debate and you - and your AI - could read different perspectives on this for days.

We decided to try and figure it ourselves by building an AI energy & water use calculator. We’re sharing version 1 with you today to test and help us make better.

Our calculator at goodwithai.org/climate helps you estimate your personal AI energy footprint based on how you actually use these tools. It's simple, visual, and puts the numbers in context with everyday comparisons you can actually feel (think: kettles boiled, phones charged, miles driven).

👉 Try the AI Energy Calculator →

As the calculator shows, individual or small team use is relatively small in terms of is energy and water impact compared to lots of other daily activities. But we’re doing a lot more with AI and that will only increase.

AI can also reduce emissions. The IEA found that widespread adoption of existing AI applications in areas like building energy management, transport optimisation, and methane leak detection could lead to 1,400 million tonnes of CO2 reductions by 2035 — potentially three to four times larger than total data centre emissions.

Efficiency is improving fast. Hardware and model design are getting dramatically better. What cost 10x a Google search two years ago may cost the same today.

You have choices. Simpler models use less energy. Text uses less than images. Images use less than video. Being intentional about which tool you reach for - like this LLM https://thaura.ai/ created with strong ethics in mind by brothers from Syria. makes a real difference at scale.

We built this calculator using an initial set of data (there’s a lot more), but this is genuinely a hard problem — the data is messy, companies don't disclose much, and the landscape changes fast.

If you have better sources, updated research, corrections, or ideas to improve the calculator — we want to hear from you. Whether you're an energy researcher, a data scientist, a sustainability professional, or just someone who's been nerding out on this topic, please reply to this email or reach out. We'll credit contributors and keep improving the tool for everyone.

If understanding AI's energy impact made you think "I want to use these tools more intentionally" — that's exactly what we teach (and how to make something like this AI climate calculator).

🚀 Join Cohort 10 (starting Weds 11th March) or 11 — our 6-week practical AI learning programme. Learn to use AI confidently, creatively, and responsibly. Whether you're a beginner or already prompting daily, you'll leave with real skills, real workflows, and your own AI toolkit.

🏢 Book a session for your team — we run masterclasses, away days, and bespoke team training to help your organisation get AI-ready. From leadership teams to entire departments, we'll get your people confident and productive with AI — fast.

👉 goodwithai.org

Have a great weekend. Go play.

Henry ( and Ben & Cien)