By installing the Cup Caps Chrome extension or using any part of the Cup Caps service, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please uninstall the extension and do not use the service.
Cup Caps is operated by Iris Initiatives. When these terms say "we," "us," or "our," they mean Iris Initiatives and the Cup Caps project.
Cup Caps is a free Chrome browser extension that estimates the water consumption associated with AI tool usage, based on publicly available research. It displays usage estimates locally in your browser and provides direct links to water conservation nonprofits.
Important: Cup Caps provides estimates, not precise measurements. Water consumption figures are approximations based on published academic research. See Section 4 for full details.
Cup Caps is provided completely free of charge. No account is required. No payment is ever collected. All features are available to all users at no cost.
We reserve the right to modify, limit, or discontinue the service at any time with reasonable notice. We have no obligation to maintain or continue operating Cup Caps indefinitely.
Cup Caps estimates water usage based on published research, including studies from the University of California Riverside and the University of Texas at Arlington (2023). Our estimates use approximate figures of 15–30ml of water per AI query, varying by service.
These are estimates, not exact measurements. Actual water consumption varies significantly based on data center location, cooling technology, and query complexity. We make no warranty that our figures accurately reflect the water usage of any specific AI service.
Cup Caps provides direct links to eight water conservation organizations. These links go directly to each organization's own donation page. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or responsible for any of these organizations. We do not process, handle, or receive any portion of donations made through these links.
When you click through to a third-party site, you are subject to that site's own terms of service and privacy policy.
Cup Caps, including its name, logo, extension code, design, and all associated content, is owned by Iris Initiatives and protected by copyright and trademark law. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from Cup Caps without our express written permission.
Your usage data — the water totals and query counts stored on your device — belongs entirely to you. We make no claim to it.
You agree not to:
Cup Caps is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not warrant that the extension will be error-free, uninterrupted, or that the water usage estimates will be accurate for any specific use case.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Iris Initiatives shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of Cup Caps, including any reliance on our water usage estimates.
You may stop using Cup Caps at any time by uninstalling the extension. We reserve the right to terminate or suspend the service for violation of these terms, with or without notice.
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Texas.
We may update these terms from time to time. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page when we do. Continued use of Cup Caps after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
Questions about these terms:
Built and maintained by one person. Every message goes directly to me — I read and respond to everything.
Email: contact@irisinitiatives.org
A project by Iris Initiatives