'Our GPUs are melting'; Not all are happy with viral Retro 80s trend

The Retro 80s trend is taking social media by storm. However, many netizens have now decided to discuss the underlying issue behind the veneer of the trendy retro images generated by Artificial Intelligence. The backlash has gained momentum, and many are now debating the issue on public platforms.

For retro 80s Ghibli images, the computing power required is so much, and the Graphics Processing Units get super-hot. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman himself said, "our GPUs are melting" during the Ghibli trend. To cool them, data centres use lakhs of litres of fresh drinking water with evaporative cooling systems. Many data centres are in drought areas like Arizona and Utah.

34 million AI images are reported to be generated daily, and the annual use could fill 200 Olympic-size pools.

1 AI image = ∼0.04 litres to 2 litres water for cooling + electricity generation

1 million Ghibli images = ∼40,000 litres of water = water needed for 2,000 people for a day (UN standard 20L per person)

Reports also suggest that the electricity demand from data centres would soar by 2030. AI images generated from India run on AWS / Google data centres in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai. It means that water scarcity fears loom in these areas as the internet is abuzz with the retro trend. Kerala is already in the grip of a power crisis with no respite even from other states.

The data centres operating in Chennai and Mumbai demand high electricity use and water to satisfy the retro demand put forward by millions of Indians. The effect is global and will take a toll on all regions.

According to the online platform GQ, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) once warned, “AI's growing water demand has implications not just for climate goals but also for local ecosystems and biodiversity.”

Like Ghibli, the 80s trend will soon bid adieu, only for another trend to take its place. Joining the trend and cherishing the wonders put forward by technology is one thing, but it should not be at the cost of killing our ecosystem.