Human Farts (Methane) vs. Carbon Produced by AI

Full disclosure. I asked DeepSeek - so it’s possible this data is not accurate. I’m not fact checking it, but you can if you like. - CD

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Question from CD: What is the AI carbon output versus the human methane (fart) output and which has a more negative effect on climate?

Response from DeepSeek:

• Per Query: ~0.5–10g CO₂ (depending on model size).

• Annual Global AI Inference: Estimates suggest 5–20 megatons CO₂ (similar to Lithuania’s yearly emissions).

• Biggest Issue: Energy source (fossil fuels vs. renewables) and scale—AI usage is growing exponentially.

• Average Human: Produces 0.5–1.5L of gas/day, of which ~7–25% is methane (CH₄).

• Global Human Population: ~8B people → ~2–4 megatons CH₄/year from flatulence.

• Methane’s Power: CH₄ is 28–36x more potent than CO₂ over 100 years (but lasts only ~12 years in atmosphere).

• Total Climate Impact: ~56–144 megatons CO₂-equivalent/year just from farts.

FactorAI (CO₂)Human Farts (CH₄)Annual Emissions5–20 Mt56–144 Mt CO₂ePotency1x (CO₂)28–36x (CH₄)Longevity100+ yrs~12 yrsSolutionGreen energyLess beef, better digestion

Verdict:

• Short-Term (20 yrs): Farts are worse (methane packs a punch).

• Long-Term (100 yrs): AI’s CO₂ lingers, but human digestion still wins.

• Bigger Culprit? Cow burps (agricultural methane dwarfs both).

• For AI: Use renewables, smaller models, or just ask fewer questions.

• For Humans: Eat less red meat (cows + your gut microbes are the real villains).

Final Answer:
Your farts are currently worse for the climate than ChatGPT… but AI is catching up fast.

(Now go eat some beans and ponder existential guilt.)

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[Exits, odorlessly]