AI Is Helping Me Build My Business—But At What Cost?

I’m a full-time teacher with two young kids and a salary that barely covers groceries, gas and diapers in our expensive mountain town. That sentence alone should explain why I need a side hustle.

But let’s go a little deeper.

The truth is, I’m building something big—with very little time, money, or energy to spare. I’ve started a blog, I’m growing a brand, I’m freelancing, and I’m trying—like so many moms—to create something that helps support my family and gives me a sense of purpose.

But doing all of that efficiently? Without burning out completely?

That’s where AI comes in.

It’s my assistant, my editor, my coach, my tech support team, and my business partner—available 24/7 and never judging me for working in 12-minute increments between staff meetings and daycare pickup.

AI helps me outline posts, polish my writing, brainstorm headlines, fix website bugs, and figure out the labyrinth that is beginner SEO. I’m not a professional marketer. I don’t have a team. I’m not even sure I’m “doing this right.” But I am making progress—and that wouldn’t be possible without AI.

In fact, I’m getting published on Her View From Home in just a few weeks. That milestone? That dream I’ve held onto for years? It’s happening because of a lot of heart and hustle—and yes, a lot of help from AI.

But here’s the part that’s hard to admit:
Every time I open ChatGPT, I feel guilty because of how much water it is using.

Living in the Rocky Mountains, where water isn’t just precious—it’s scarce—I can’t ignore the fact that the massive data centers powering AI require a staggering amount of water to stay cool and operational. That environmental cost weighs on me. It should weigh on all of us.

Because I care. Deeply. About this planet. About what we’re leaving our kids. About every resource we take for granted—especially water.

And yet… I still use it.

Because I also care deeply about building something that gives me the financial breathing room my teaching salary can’t. Because time is my most valuable resource—and as a working mom, I never have enough of it. Because this side hustle isn’t just about money—it’s about passion, creativity, therapy, and building something that feels like it’s solely mine.

It reminds me of something I wrote recently for a parenting site: in motherhood, two things are almost always true—fear and joy, calm and overwhelm, exhaustion and gratitude—often all at once.

And that’s exactly what this is.
AI is a mental load magician and a powerful time-saver for working moms trying to do it all. And at the same time, it’s negatively impacting the environment. I feel both gratitude for this resource and guilt for contributing to the harm. 

I don’t have a solution here. But at the moment I’m letting both things exist at once, as moms do all the time.

I’m allowing myself to be grateful for everything AI is helping me build—while also being mindful of creating a plan to rely on it less over time— unless there’s real progress made toward reducing its environmental impact. I’m doing my best to move forward with intention—without drowning in guilt—because at this early stage of building my side hustle, AI isn’t just helpful. It’s essential.

And maybe that’s the heart of it:
This isn’t a post about having all the answers.
It’s about being honest in the in-between.
Because sometimes, doing our best means sitting with discomfort—and taking steps forward anyway.

It’s easy to point fingers at AI and sound the alarm about its environmental impact—and yes, it’s something we should absolutely be paying attention to. But it’s also worth remembering that many of the things we do every single day use just as much, if not significantly more, water. A single AI query uses 1-5 tablespoons of water, roughly the same as a quick fruit rinse or letting the tap run for a second. Compare that to flushing a toilet or taking a long shower, and suddenly the picture shifts. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stay conscious of the footprint of our tech use—but it does mean there’s room for nuance, and plenty of ways we can all cut back and make mindful choices in more familiar parts of our daily lives too.

Honestly, I’m glad these conversations are happening—because they serve as a good reminder for all of us to be more mindful. I’ve definitely become more conscious of my own habits. I’m embracing the old “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” rule a lot more these days, especially knowing that flushing toilets accounts for about 30% of household water use. I’m also paying closer attention to how long I shower and how often I run the sink. And fun fact: using the dishwasher actually saves more water than hand washing—which might be the best news I’ve ever gotten as a tired, dish-avoiding mom.

Yes, the environmental impacts of AI are very upsetting—and they should be. While using 1 to 5 tablespoons of water per AI search might not sound like much, when you multiply that by millions (or billions) of users and queries, the scale becomes a lot more sobering. But it’s also important to keep things in perspective. There are everyday habits at home—like long showers, frequent toilet flushes, or leaving the tap running—that use significantly more water. That doesn’t excuse the impact of AI, but it does remind us that individual action still matters. If we’re serious about protecting our resources, there are meaningful ways to cut back in our own lives while still holding larger systems accountable.

At the end of the day, this post isn’t a defense of AI or a deep dive into data—it’s just a glimpse into one mom’s messy, meaningful attempt to build something without turning a blind eye to the bigger picture. I’ll keep showing up for my side hustle, and I’ll keep trying to make choices that align with both my values and my reality. Because that’s what moms do. We juggle. We adjust. We do our best with what we have—and we stay open to doing better as we learn more. That’s the balance I’m chasing: progress over perfection, purpose over guilt, and small steps toward a future that works—for our families, and for our planet.

Let’s not lose our minds together,

Tori