102. AI and Energy Use, the Real Story Therapists Aren’t Looking At

The conversation around AI and energy use has gotten loud, and if you care about the planet, it can leave you feeling guilty every time you reach for a tool that would actually save you from burnout. Maybe your teenager has told you you're ruining the planet. Maybe a colleague keeps forwarding you articles about data centers. Maybe the guilt is all coming from you.

In this episode of Run Your Private Practice with AI, I dig into the research I did to finally answer the question I keep getting from therapists. There are two very different conversations happening about AI and energy, and they keep getting tangled together. I separate them, walk through the actual numbers, and share what surprised me once I sat down and really looked.

AI Tips You Don’t Want to Miss:

• The two AI energy conversations that keep getting mixed up, and why only one of them is worth worrying about.
• A grounded way to put your whole year of AI notes into perspective against the everyday things you already do.
• Why being a telehealth provider already puts you ahead on carbon emissions before AI even enters the picture.
• How to build an interactive lead magnet in Claude using Artifacts.
• Using Cowork and Netlify to get an interactive page hosted and clickable when your usual platform won't cooperate.

Mentioned in this episode:

AI and Energy Use Freebie to download: https://kymtolson.kartra.com/page/opt-in-energy-use

Little Bird AI: http://Littlebird.ai for two months free use code F3Q6ESFA

Run Your Private Practice with an AI Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aiprivatepractice

Berries https://www.heyberries.com/therapists

EPOCH AI STUDY (ChatGPT Energy)
Title: How much energy does ChatGPT use?
Link: https://epoch.ai/gradient-updates/how-much-energy-does-chatgpt-use
Published: February 7, 2025

NPJ DIGITAL MEDICINE STUDY (Telehealth Carbon)
Title: Telemedicine and the environment: life cycle environmental emissions from in-person and virtual clinic visits
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-023-00818-7
Published: May 9, 2023

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Connect with me:

• Instagram: @thetravelingtherapist_kym
• Website: AIfortherapists.com
• Clinical AI Club and Thera AI Hub are merging into one larger program. Join the waitlist to be the first to hear about it: www.theraaihub.netlify.app

Sponsored by Alma: www.helloalma.com/kym
Sponsored by Berries: Use code 50FromKym for $50 off your first month www.heyberries.com/therapists