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Card 856 of 9992026-09-02 issue

Observed arrival · 2026-09-02

The AI Footprint Puts an Energy Meter on Model Choice

theaifootprint.com Observed source
Editorial interest 86/100 Selection signal · not a rating of the site

An interactive comparison of AI models that estimates energy used per answer alongside capability scores.

Landing page captured for the 2026-09-02 issue.

Field notes

The site organizes models by capability bands rather than treating lowest energy as an absolute winner. Its comparison includes model-level caveats: some calculations use estimated parameter counts, while Grok 4 spans 65.3 to 1019 Wh because xAI has not disclosed enough about how it is built. Capability context also includes a 58-benchmark index and, where available, head-to-head votes from LMArena.

Observed signals

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Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.

OpenPublic substance visible
PrettyNotable craft visible
ProPolished or operationally mature
NicheUnusually specific use
HumanPersonal, local, civic, or handmade

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Landing page observed 2026-09-02. The live site may have changed.