r/Anticonsumption • u/Sad_Butterscotch7063 • 2d ago

Discussion Does anyone avoid using ChatGPT because of its water usage?

Hey, I recently came across something about how using ChatGPT, Blackbox AI and similar AI tools actually consumes a surprising amount of water (cooling data centers, I guess). Made me wonder, have people here stopped or reduced using it because of that?

Curious how others are thinking about it in terms of sustainability and personal impact.

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272

u/dropthebeatfirst 2d ago

My directional sense has never been phenomenal. It's gotten significantly worse since relying on GPS to tell me where to turn.

I really don't want anything else telling me where to turn in my life...

39

u/rarecuts 2d ago

For real. I haven't lived there for nearly 20 years but I still know all the roads and motorways of my home city like the back of my hand, because I learned them all before smartphones and Google Maps.

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u/richardizard 2d ago

Lol GPS and I have been friends for too long. Grew up relying on it since GTA 3 and it stuck lmao. I do notice how terrible I am with direction and knowing where I'm at most of the times.

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u/ZakA77ack 2d ago

I get around this by often pulling up google maps and looking at the path or the geography. I think looking at the map enhances my sense of direction. Obvs wont help everyone but may be worth trying out!

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u/dropthebeatfirst 2d ago

This is a fantastic recommendation. Nothing saying we can't go old school and map out a route by simply looking at the map!

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u/ZakA77ack 2d ago

I kind make a game out of it on Google maps on my desktop. Look at where I'm starting at and my destination try to path finder without the directions. When I first started driving it really quickly taught me my major roads.

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u/Possible-Sun1683 2d ago

I’ve noticed that the GPS will sometimes not use the quickest route or always wants me to take the highway when it’s not necessary. I try to go without the GPS whenever I can.

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u/throwaway098764567 2d ago

google i think defaults to green route now unless you change that setting. it also has options to avoid highways, tolls, and ferries. use it or don't, but there are options to avoid what you're talking about.

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u/Flack_Bag 2d ago

There's an intersection near me that had a sudden increase in crashes and near misses a while back because people were making a legal but terribly ill-advised U turn to reach the entrance to a nursing home. They'd have to cross two lanes of high speed traffic coming around a blind bend, plus pedestrians crossing the street and cars turning right on red. The stupidest part is that it saved them maybe 20 feet or so over the much safer and more reasonable option of making the left turn onto the less busy street, then another left into the facility.

It took me way too long to figure out that it was their stupid navigation systems telling them to do things that no remotely rational human would do if left to their own devices.

AIs, especially narrow AIs, can be very useful, but they need human oversight, and should never be trusted with making decisions on their own.

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u/vstacey6 2d ago

The fact that remembering phone numbers practically fell out of everyone’s heads is scary

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u/breath-of-the-smile 2d ago

This is the primary reason I still don't use GPS. I want to actually know where I'm going. Consequentially, I never get lost, and always end up being the navigator on road trips. If I need directions, I just look up the major points: interstate to take, exit numbers, etc. Stuff like that.

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u/JUYED-AWK-YACC 2d ago

Fortunately that has nothing to do with ChatGPT. It’s 30 years old.