Isn't the real metric of concern the absolute amount of CO2 generated that will have an impact on the environment? That every person's AI queries contributes a small amount to the CO2 production doesn't make the sum of all CO2 production go away.
This is not a critique of LLM usage, just on individual contributions to the environmental crisis.
It's fairly popular to claim that you as an individual have no significant effect on the environment and that it's the actions of the large companies, which are effectively "super polluters." This ignores that companies take these actions because of the market forces imposed on them by the consumers.
An individuals impact in isolation is small, however, if that same individual made changes not only in their own life, but urged those around them to make similar changes, the network effect would be huge. This extends beyond the environment: boycotts, product recommendations, exercise, etc. You truly need to be the change that you want to see.
