Tips for Greener Generative AI Assistant Tool Use

Reducing the Environmental Impact of GenAI Assistant Tools

San Francisco is a global climate leader and wants to use AI in ways that support our climate goals. GenAI tools like Copilot Chat use a lot of electricity and water to run big computers and keep them cool.

While full reports will take time, each of us can start helping now. By asking clearer questions and using GenAI tools more carefully, we can lower energy and water use and support San Francisco’s climate leadership.

These tips apply across all GenAI assistant tools, including Copilot Chat, Copilot 365, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

Read the complete set of tips

1. Keep Outputs Short

Long GenAI answers use more computer power, which means more energy and water. Shorter answers are better for the planet. Do this:

• Set a limit. Say things like “Under 100 words” or “Give me 5 bullet points.”
  
• Ask for only what you need. For example: “Summarize the main ideas only” or “Give three short takeaways.”
  
• Stop early. If the answer already looks good, click Stop generating instead of waiting for a long reply.

2. Write Fewer, Shorter, and Better Prompts

Every time you send a prompt to a GenAI tool, it uses electricity and water in big computer centers. One question doesn’t use much, but many long or unclear prompts add up and use more resources. Do this:

• Keep it short. Ask your main question in a simple, direct way.
  
• Add key details early. Include who it’s for, what tone you want, and your goal in the first prompt.
  
• Stay in one chat when it fits. Ask related questions in the same thread so the tool remembers the context—but start a new chat when the topic changes a lot.
  
• Watch other AI features. Some search engines now add AI answers by default. Choose options like “Web results only” or add “-ai” to your search to turn off extra AI results when you don’t need them.

3. Limit Heavy Tasks

Some GenAI jobs use a lot more energy and water than others. Do this:

• Use fewer images. Ask GenAI to make images only when you really need them. Choose smaller or lower-resolution images when possible.
  
• Use “extra thinking” only when needed. Turn on reasoning or chain-of-thought models only for hard, complex problems. For simple questions, a regular model is usually enough and uses less energy.

4. Use Cloud Storage Wisely

Saving files in the cloud uses energy all the time. As AI creates more and more files, keeping extra copies or old drafts can slowly increase energy use. Do this:

• Keep the final version. Delete extra drafts, partial outputs, and duplicate AI-generated files.
  
• Clean up often. Remove old or unused AI files and use auto-delete for temporary files when allowed.
  
• Archive what you must keep. Move older AI-generated files into your Archive or long-term storage, and avoid keeping many active copies.

5. Learn Together and Share

San Francisco’s climate leadership is a team effort. When many people make small, smart choices with AI every day, it adds up and helps shrink our digital footprint. How we use AI matters just as much as which tools we use. Do this:

• Share these tips. Talk about them in team meetings or digital skills trainings.
  
• Encourage mindful AI use. Ask coworkers to “think before they prompt” and try these habits in their own work.
  
• Lead by example. Show others how to use short, clear prompts and make resource-wise choices when using GenAI tools.