RevAIve

Cut down on AI waste, save the planet! Our Chrome Extension and website give you real-time insights into the environmental impact of your AI use—helping you make smarter, greener choices effortlessly.

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Inspiration

AI is deeply embedded in our everyday lives, from chatbots to recommendation algorithms. However, its environmental impact remains largely invisible. Every interaction with AI, including ChatGPT, consumes energy, water, and computing power—resources that are often overlooked. We wanted to create an ethical solution that raises awareness about this hidden cost and empowers users to take control of their AI usage.

What it does

RevAIve is a Chrome extension and website that tracks the water and carbon emissions generated by your ChatGPT usage. AI is seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, yet we rarely consider its real-world effects. RevAIve makes the invisible costs of AI visible and encourages ethical engagement with technology.

To make this shift engaging, RevAIve introduces an interactive virtual pet called an "Ecopal." Users name, dress, and feed their Ecopal, fostering a sense of responsibility through gamification. They set a daily prompt limit, and once exceeded, a popup reminds them that their Ecopal is worried and suggests alternative search methods like Google. The website dashboard provides detailed weekly statistics, helping users see the tangible effects of their AI usage. Additionally, a resources page presents infographics that educate users on AI’s environmental footprint, reinforcing the ethical implications of unchecked AI reliance.

Challenges we ran into

Estimating AI's environmental impact: AI’s resource consumption is often obscured from users, so finding reliable sources and translating them into per-prompt statistics required extensive research.

Chrome extension integration: Ensuring smooth overlays and popups on ChatGPT's interface without disrupting usability was a technical challenge.

Gamification mechanics: Balancing the fun aspects of Ecopal management with the core ethical goal of raising awareness required iteration and user feedback.

What we learned

  • AI’s presence in daily life is far more resource-intensive than most users realize.
  • Making AI’s impact visible and personal encourages more ethical interactions with technology.
  • The power of gamification in driving behavior change and encouraging responsible AI consumption.

Built With

  • figma
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