A chatbot entirely powered by humans, not artificial intelligence? This Chilean community shows why

In a unique demonstration highlighting artificial intelligence’s environmental impact, residents of Quilicura, Chile transformed into a human-powered chatbot on Saturday, fielding thousands of requests from global users while drawing attention to water consumption issues plaguing the region’s growing data center industry.

For 12 hours, approximately 50 community members worked in shifts at a local community center, personally responding to over 25,000 queries submitted through the Quili.AI website. Unlike conventional AI platforms that produce instant results, users received personalized, human-created responses—sometimes requiring several minutes of wait time.

When asked to generate an image of a “sloth playing in the snow,” respondents first acknowledged the request in Spanish and asked for patience. About ten minutes later, users received a hand-drawn pencil sketch depicting a cartoonish sloth clutching a snowball, ready to throw it—created by a local youth volunteer.

“The goal is to highlight the hidden water footprint behind AI prompting and encourage more responsible use,” explained Lorena Antiman of environmental organization Corporación NGEN, which organized the demonstration.

The human-operated system showcased both strengths and limitations. Volunteers responded rapidly to questions about local culture, such as recipes for Chilean sopaipillas, a traditional fried pastry. When faced with unfamiliar queries, they collaborated—walking around the room to find someone with relevant knowledge.

“Quili.AI isn’t about always having an instant answer. It’s about recognizing that not every question needs one,” Antiman noted. “When residents don’t know something, they can say so, share perspective, or respond with curiosity rather than certainty.”

The demonstration comes amid growing concerns about artificial intelligence’s resource demands, particularly in water-stressed regions like central Chile. Modern data centers housing AI systems require enormous amounts of electricity, with many also consuming significant water volumes for cooling systems—requirements that vary based on facility design and location.

Quilicura, positioned on Santiago’s urban periphery, has emerged as a data center hub in recent years. Tech giants including Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have established or planned facilities in the greater Santiago region, attracted by Chile’s stable infrastructure and strategic position in Latin America.

Google, which activated its Quilicura data center in 2015, has defended its operations, claiming to operate “the most energy efficient [data center] in Latin America.” The company has highlighted investments in wetlands restoration and irrigation projects throughout the Maipo River basin. Nevertheless, Google faced legal challenges over another Chilean project due to water consumption concerns.

These environmental questions arise against the backdrop of Chile’s decade-long severe drought, which experts believe contributed to the devastating wildfires that recently swept through parts of the country, claiming numerous lives and destroying thousands of homes.

Antiman emphasized that the campaign doesn’t reject AI’s valuable applications but instead aims to encourage reflection about the environmental consequences of casual AI usage, particularly in communities already facing water scarcity.

“We’re asking people to consider the hidden costs behind every prompt,” said one volunteer during the event. “When you ask AI to create an image or answer a question, real resources are being consumed somewhere—often in communities already struggling with environmental challenges.”

The Quili.AI project represents a creative approach to raising awareness about technology’s environmental footprint, inviting users to reconsider their relationship with AI tools while highlighting the human intelligence and creativity that still powers even the most sophisticated technological systems.

As data centers continue expanding globally, similar conversations about resource allocation, environmental impact, and sustainable technology practices will likely intensify across other regions experiencing water stress and climate vulnerabilities.