CloudCost – AI Impact & CO₂ Awareness

About

CloudCost is a lightweight Chrome extension that helps you understand the environmental impact of everyday AI usage.

As you interact with AI tools in your browser, CloudCost estimates the resources involved and translates them into simple, human-readable equivalents like clean water usage, CO₂ emissions, and energy consumption. The goal is awareness, not guilt. AI feels invisible, but it has real-world costs, and CloudCost makes those costs visible.

The extension works automatically on popular AI platforms without disrupting your workflow. A small floating cloud icon stays out of the way and expands when clicked to show impact details. You can swipe between water, carbon, and energy views to see how your usage adds up over time.

CloudCost updates in real time as you chat and accounts for regenerations, helping you see how repeated requests increase overall impact. It also provides gentle, optional tips that encourage clearer prompts and more efficient AI use, without pop-ups or interruptions.

All processing happens locally in your browser. CloudCost does not collect personal data, make external network requests, or track your activity. Only basic preferences are stored. All values shown are estimated equivalents based on publicly available research and are intended for awareness rather than precise measurement.