What is the growing concern about cloud computing and AI technologies beyond financial costs?

Beyond financial savings, there's growing concern about cloud computing's environmental impact. Large language models like ChatGPT consume significant resources, including surprising amounts of water for cooling data centers. Research suggests a single ChatGPT session could use half a liter of water, and Microsoft reported 34% higher water consumption in 2023, likely due to generative AI research. As cloud usage increases, sustainability has become equally important as cost optimization. Companies are beginning to evaluate not just performance metrics but also the carbon footprint of their technology choices, driving cloud professionals to consider more sustainable approaches like serverless or managed offerings.