Free ChatGPT Action Figures?
The latest craze has been using ChatGPT to create action figures:
Prompt:
Make a picture of a 3D action figure toy, named “Miguel G.” Make it look like it’s being displayed in a transparent plastic package, blister packaging model. The figure is as in the photo, [Latino/He/His] style is very [light dark skin, bald middle aged old male with a mustache and goatee with a point, no sideburns]. On the top of the packaging there is a large writing: “[Miguel G.]” in white text then below it “[Superhero]” Dressed in a superhero (blue and gold) costume. Also add some supporting items for the job next to the figure, like [toucan bird sidekick, slingshot with small corn tortilla missiles]. The packaging design is minimalist, cardboard color with blue/gold highlights, cute toy style sold in stores. The style is cartoonish, cute but still neat, also put a mock toy brand logo in the top right corner (adapted from Reddit prompt)
But I was curious. “What impact does creating a ‘free’ action figure with AI have on the environment?“
So, I asked Perplexity as part of my earlier thread on water and CO2 emissions. Here is the result:
Water Consumption Impact
Direct Water Usage for Image Generation
When generating AI images of action figures using ChatGPT and image generation models (likely DALL-E or similar):
- Per-Image Water Usage: Based on available data, generating a single AI image consumes approximately 0.04-0.1 liters of water, primarily for cooling the data centers processing these requests.
- For a Typical Action Figure Creation Session: If a user generates 10-20 images to get their desired action figure design, this would consume approximately 0.4-2 liters of water.
Contextual Comparison
- This is roughly equivalent to flushing a low-flow toilet once (1.6 gallons/6 liters)
- Significantly less than the water used to manufacture a physical action figure (estimated 10-20 gallons/38-76 liters including plastic production and manufacturing processes)
CO₂ Emissions
Carbon Footprint of AI Image Generation
- Per Image: Each AI-generated image produces approximately 0.01-0.05 kg of CO₂ emissions
- Complete Action Figure Creation Process: A session generating multiple iterations (10-20 images) would produce approximately 0.1-1 kg of CO₂
Contextual Comparison
- This is roughly equivalent to driving a car for 0.5-5 miles
- Significantly less than manufacturing and shipping a physical action figure (estimated 2-5 kg of CO₂)
Economic Costs
Direct Costs to Users
- Free Tier Usage: If using ChatGPT’s free tier with DALL-E integration, the direct monetary cost to users is $0
- ChatGPT Plus Subscription: If using a paid subscription ($20/month), the marginal cost per action figure would be negligible if the user is already subscribing for other purposes
Hidden Costs
- Infrastructure Costs to OpenAI: Approximately $0.02-0.10 per image in computational resources, electricity, and infrastructure maintenance
- Water Costs: Approximately $0.0001-0.0005 per image based on industrial water rates for data center cooling
- Energy Costs: Approximately $0.005-0.02 per image in electricity costs
Total Environmental Impact Assessment
Creating a digital AI action figure through ChatGPT and associated image generation models has a significantly lower environmental impact than manufacturing a physical action figure:
Resource
AI-Generated Action Figure (10-20 images)
Physical Action Figure Manufacturing
Water Usage
0.4-2 liters
38-76 liters (10-20 gallons)
CO₂ Emissions
0.1-1 kg
2-5 kg
Raw Materials
None (digital only)
0.1-0.3 kg plastic and packaging
Conclusion
This is about what you would expect. A single Gen AI image generation? Not so much as a compared to the physical manufacturing process. But when you consider everyone doing it, the cost goes up quite a bit…“the cumulative impact of millions of users generating AI images does contribute to the growing environmental footprint of AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft.”