College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Computer Science Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Computer Science
Date
6-2025
Primary Advisor
Franz Kurfess, College of Engineering, Computer Science and Software Engineering Department
Abstract/Summary
Climate change is an escalating crisis that demands immediate action from all sectors, including the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence (AI). While AI offers climate solutions, its own environmental impact raises concerns. Unfortunately limited research due to rapid development, system complexity, and lack of standardized methodologies hinders our understanding of AI’s environmental consequences. This project aims to conduct a comprehensive ecological footprint analysis of OpenAI’s GPT-3 model that is used to power ChatGPT, establishing guidelines for assessing AI systems’ environmental impact and proposing a framework for improvement. Going beyond tracking carbon emissions, this project will outline the broader lifecycle of GPT-3, from hardware components used, through the energy-intensive training process, to ongoing maintenance and eventual decommissioning. The purpose of the ecological footprint is to quantify the total environmental resources required to support GPT-3’s operation and the corresponding area of productive land and water ecosystems needed to supply these resources and assimilate the resulting waste. This comprehensive assessment will help identify key areas of environmental concern and opportunities for sustainability improvements in AI systems. Ultimately, the findings from this project could inform future regulations and support the development and research of energy-efficient AI technologies, contributing to the broader goal of creating a sustainable tech industry. This project will create a user-friendly visual so consumers and buyers can easily understand the impacts of ChatGPT. By providing a replicable framework for AI ecological footprint analysis, this research aims to encourage transparency, promote sustainable practices in AI development, and contribute to the responsible advancement of AI technologies in the face of climate change.
Notes
The main work of this project was research and an analysis paper, which is included in the supplemental work. The dashboard is no longer active as of (September 2025), but a video is available in the supplemental files.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cscsp/179
Full Research Report
demo 7:13.mov (86378 kB)
Video Demo of the dashboard that is no longer deployed.
Included in
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Commons, Software Engineering Commons, Sustainability Commons