Minding our manners is something most of us do automatically – even when speaking to AI, it seems. But saying “please” and “thank you” to AI is costing us, and our planet, as revealed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Altman recently responded to a question on X asking how much money Open AI loses because of people using please and thank you in their prompts. “Tens of millions of dollars,” he replied. But it’s not just the cost that’s the issue – AI is having a direct and detrimental effect on the environment. The International Energy Agency’s electricity report revealed a request to ChatGPT consumes 10 times the electricity of a Google search, and the 2024 Google environmental report revealed its greenhouse gas emission levels had risen by 48% since 2019, directly attributing this rise to the energy demand from AI centres. Jeremy Kahn, AI editor at Fortune magazine and author of Mastering AI: A survival guide to our superpowered future, spoke to BBC Radio 4’s The Briefing Room about the threat AI poses to our planet. He said that the average data centre uses 200 megawatts in a year – approximately the same amount of energy used to power 200,000 UK homes, or 10 NHS hospitals. And that’s just one data centre. He also said that OpenAI has discussed opening a data centre which uses five gigawatts per year, or the amount of energy needed to power Miami. “It’s really adding up,” AI scientist Sasha Luccioni told the BBC’s Tech Life. “This incremental usage and switching from good old-fashioned AI to generative AI is causing a sort of ripple effect on energy grids and data centre usage. We hear a lot about AI in regard to creativity and independent thinking, ownership and whether it’s coming to take our jobs (which it is, according to Fiver CEO Micha Kaufman). These are all valid concerns. But there’s a whole other side to AI which is just as scary, and still isn’t being talked about enough in the design world. “Creatives shape the soul of society, so watching creative leaders bow down unquestioningly to AI should have us all worried.” Sustainability has become one of the design’s main concerns, thanks to the pioneering work of studios like Thomas Matthews and the Design Council, which is hosting the World Design Congress this September around its “design for planet” theme. But up until now, the focus has largely been on physical design – on materials and carbon emissions and recyclability. The Dublin-based studio Aad recently launched its Digital Sustainability Resource to highlight the importance of digital designers prioritising sustainability in their work too. It wanted to help designers understand the scale of the problem, and think more carefully about the impact their work has, as well as providing practical tips and advice. With the rise of AI, and its increasing prevalence in the digital design space, it’s important for design studios to fully and honestly consider the sustainability of their work, and push back against environmentally damaging practices. “Designers have a unique responsibility,” explains Cat Robertson, Aad’s sustainability and brand lead. “As AI tools look to democratise design and content creation, designers face a kind of dual challenge: adapting to these tools while also guiding their responsible, environmentally sustainable use.” She recommends designers push for transparency from AI developers on their environmental footprint, and establish professional standards for sustainable, ethical AI usage within design practices. “The future of design isn’t just about what we create, but how consciously we create it,” Robertson says. “Our responsibility extends beyond aesthetics to include the full lifecycle impact of our work – especially as these impacts scale through technologies like AI.” If designers care about the future of the planet, they can’t ignore what AI is doing to the environment. “Creatives shape the soul of society, so watching creative leaders bow down unquestioningly to AI should have us all worried,” says Sana Iqbal, founder of Studio Sana. “This isn’t about adapting with the times, but ensuring the AI transition isn’t exploitative and is fair to all,” she continues. “Transparency will ensure brands are meeting their regulatory requirements and not green-washing.” Designers have a responsibility to promote ethical and sustainable practices in their work – both the process, and the output. They need to be aware of how AI impacts the environment, and use it mindfully. Skipping “please” and “thank you” is a start. But we may need a more impolite conversation on what AI means for our sustainable design future.