Developer Builds AI Tool That Displays Real-Time Water Cost Per Query

A developer has created JSTJO, an AI chatbot that visibly tracks and displays estimated water consumption with each response, aiming to make AI's environmental footprint tangible to users. The project was prompted by the UN's June 2026 AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, which formally requested standardized water and energy disclosures from AI companies, though compliance remains largely voluntary. Major tech firms have disclosed significant water usage figures — Google reported 10.9 billion gallons in 2025, a 34% year-on-year rise, while Amazon published its first-ever water footprint of 2.5 billion gallons in mid-2026. Researchers estimate each AI query consumes between 10 and 25 milliliters of water when indirect usage from power generation is included, far above the commonly cited 0.3 ml figure that counts only direct data-center cooling. The developer reports that simply seeing a counter deplete in real time changed their own usage habits, citing behavioral economics research showing that making hidden costs visible can meaningfully reduce consumption.