ustwo and the University of Bristol have launched PRISM, an open-source plug-in that gives developers real-time estimates of the carbon emissions from AI usage directly inside their coding environment. The tool uses a transparent token-to-energy-to-carbon methodology based on Green Software Foundation guidance and academic research. It aims to make the environmental cost of AI visible at the point where technical decisions are made, not just in high-level sustainability reports. PRISM is designed to help teams consider carbon impact alongside cost, speed, and performance when using AI-powered tools during development. The project is open source to encourage community contributions and further refinement. It was developed with software engineering students from the University of Bristol.
