Have you noticed your browser defaults to AI-generated overviews before search results? Convenient, perhaps, but convenience has a cost, one we've seen before with single-use plastics and disposable products. What's the environmental price of default AI?
I tested this myself. I asked an AI: "In 30 words, why do AI data centres require so much energy?" Its answer: "AI data centers require immense energy because training large neural networks needs trillions of calculations. Running inference on thousands of GPUs, each using 300-700W, plus cooling, drives huge power consumption." My question consumed 900 billion floating-point operations.
Here's the stark reality: A Google search uses ~0.3 Wh. A 100-word AI answer uses ~3 Wh, 10 times more energy. With 16 billion Google searches daily, the potential waste is staggering.
For Saskatchewan, this isn't just theoretical. It's a direct strain on our grid. Such waste is the last thing we need when facing the cost of coal plant refurbishment and small modular nuclear reactors. (Energy conservation, efficiency measures, and/or renewables could delay or even eliminate the need for both.)
This isn't
about rejecting AI. It's about rejecting waste. Big Tech is normalizing
energy-intensive defaults without our consent.
You can act now. Install a "Disable AI" browser extension and bookmark AI tools for when you actually need them. But individual action isn't enough.
Canada must act. Sign the AI data centre petition at ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-7550. Demand your MP stop the waste. Tell your MLA to push Ottawa.
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