The UK government has released draft guidance on the green use of artificial intelligence for civil servants. The document recommends thinking about whether artificial intelligence is really needed before choosing an appropriate model.
If the same problem can be solved with traditional tools such as spreadsheets, it is recommended not to use artificial intelligence. When models are unavoidable, employees are asked to use the smallest model available. The author also recommends keeping requests short and not sending unnecessary prompts to reduce computing resource consumption and environmental impact.
This logic already raises questions: small models may make mistakes more frequently and produce unreliable answers, while queries that are too short can make results worse. At the same time, the document actually prioritizes environmental conservation over maximum productivity. However, UK authorities appear to prefer to first ensure that AI is actually necessary, rather than connecting it to every desk.
As a comparison, the material describes the situation in the United States, where AI infrastructure development is much more active. Morgan Stanley expects the United States to add about 38 gigawatts of new data center capacity by 2027, up from about 10 gigawatts in 2025. At the same time, the U.S. power grid is facing a growing shortage of available power. It turns out it’s a rather interesting contrast: some countries build new power plants for artificial intelligence, while others recommend turning on Excel first.
