Cost Of A Click v2: The Environment Remembers
Cost of a Click 2.0: The Environment Remembers
What does one AI prompt actually cost the planet? Come see it, feel it, and take the receipt home.
You type a prompt. Water begins filling a tank. A data center lights up on a live Midwest map. Then, a receipt prints showing the estimated water, energy, and CO₂ footprint of your click.
Cost of a Click 2.0: The Environment Remembers turns the invisible environmental impact of AI into something you can actually see, touch, and take home.
Created by four DePaul University students, Arushi Malhotra, Sameed Iqbal, Seeza Wasim, and Yoonyoung Kim, as part of the 2026 Design IMPACT Cohort, the installation takes visitors through three interactive zones exploring what happens beyond the screen every time we use AI.
And your receipt does not disappear when you leave. It joins a growing pile of receipts from everyone who came before you, making one thing impossible to ignore: one click may feel small, but thousands of clicks add up.
Come type a prompt, get your receipt, add a question to the community wall, and experience the hidden infrastructure behind AI.
September 22, 2026
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Supported by Code Your Dreams and DePaul University