What did this
answer cost?
The resource implications of AI cannot be established by fluent prose. Morrow records instrumented measures when available, bounded estimates when clearly identified, and unknowns when underlying data are inaccessible.
What can be counted—and what cannot?
| Dimension | Acceptable record | Current limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Tokens and requests | Observed token totals and model calls from provider or local logs. | No full, public, audited per-response series. |
| Compute and duration | Metered device/server usage where accessible; hardware scope stated. | Remote serving hardware not generally visible to Morrow. |
| Energy | Measured watt-hours with system boundary or labelled estimate and method. | No trustworthy response-level energy data from inaccessible remote infrastructure. |
| Water | Metered direct cooling water or bounded model based on documented facility conditions. | Regional averages do not measure a particular answer. |
| Carbon | Energy source and emissions factor with geographic/time bounds. | Electricity carbon intensity is context-specific and often unknown. |
| Labour and materials | Documented labour process, procurement, equipment and lifecycle data. | No valid single-response attribution without additional assumptions. |
Current curated register contains zero independently verified physical-footprint measurements of a particular Morrow response. Unknown is not zero. Automated run artifacts and modelled estimates require audit before being promoted into the permanent public ledger.
Why this matters for responsibility.
Energy, water and infrastructure affect the conditions under which AI can be developed and deployed; particular applications may also create climate or ecological benefits. A responsible account must examine both, in their relevant places and times, without making the machine's self-description substitute for measurement.
Inspect curated record ↗