Sustainable Substitutes for Gemini

A generative AI tool integrated into most Google products.

Reasons to avoid Gemini

Gemini’s AI models are trained on vast amounts of user data, raising serious privacy concerns. Its massive energy and water use harms the environment, while biased, unchecked responses spread misinformation.

Opt for ethical, privacy-focused alternatives or just don't use Gen AI at all.

Ethical and Sustainable Gemini Alternatives

  • Feasibility: How easily can the average user switch to this substitute? Higher feasibility results in a higher ranking.
  • Editor's Rating: How sustainable is the substitute? The more sustainability attributes it fulfils, the higher it is ranked.

Le Chat

An AI chatbot developed by Mistral AI, focusing on transparency and ethical AI development.

Le Chat publishes its core language models as open source. For example, Mistral Small 4 and Mistral Large 3 are released under open-source licenses, allowing for fine-tuning and deployment by the community.
Le Chat is developed by Mistral AI, a French company, ensuring compliance with GDPR and European privacy laws. Mistral has been criticised for not allowing easy opt-out possibilities to free tier users. It also uses US Tech for its infrastructure.
Mistral AI emphasises ethical AI development, with transparent policies and user-controlled data settings.
Le Chat offers hybrid deployment options, including on-premises and private cloud, giving users full control over their data.
No registration is required to use Le Chat. You can start a conversation directly on the web interface without an account.
Le Chat has a free tier. The main difference to the paid tiers are the usage limits on Flash Answers.
Website

Lumo

A privacy-friendly chatbot by Proton with zero access encryption.

No registration is required to use Lumo. You can start chatting immediately without logging in or creating an account.
Lumo is based in Switzerland and complies with GDPR, providing strong privacy protections.
Proton Lumo’s code is fully open source, allowing anyone to verify its privacy and security claims. However, the AI models used by Lumo are not explicitly stated as open source in the available information.
Lumo offers a free tier with basic features, and a Plus plan for advanced functionality.
Lumo does not log user conversations or share data with third parties, ensuring a private and secure AI experience.
Website

Duck.ai

An AI chatbot by DuckDuckGo, anonymising prompts to popular chatbot providers.

All interactions are anonymised, and chats are stored locally on the user’s device, not on DuckDuckGo’s servers. Users can delete chats instantly using the "Fire Button."
Duck.ai can be used anonymously with no log in required.
Duck.ai is free of charge. Subscription plans offer access to more advanced AI models.
Website

The 7 main issues with Gemini

Misinformation / Manipulation - Spread of false or misleading information, often through algorithmic amplification, which can harm public discourse and trust.

Gemini is - like all other AI tools - vulnerable towards fake news, bias and propganda. Wired: Chatbots Are Pushing Sanctioned Russian Propaganda (2025)

Lack of Transparency - Opacity in operations, data handling, or supply chains, making it difficult for users to understand practices.

Gemini as an in-app tool has access to the contents of the given apps, while the Gemini chatbot for now only has access, if explicitly consent is given. One can suspect that most users don't know the difference between the different types of Gemini application. This causes uncertainty regarding data practices and when Google finally starts sharing all data between chatbot and other apps for targeted ads, no outcry will follow.Source:The Register: What does Google Gemini do with your data? Well, it's complicated... (2024)

Privacy Concerns - User data is likely to be stored and used against users' best interest.

Gemini chat data could (potentially) be used to show personalised ads in other Google products. This does not seem to be the case yet. But given Google's history of allowing cross product data sharing, it would be of no surprise if they started tomorrow.Source: The Register: Google offers bargain: Sell your soul to Gemini, and it'll give you smarter answers (2026)

Big Tech - Big Tech companies do not nourish people and planet. This is especially true in times of political tension.

Google is one of the largest tech companies, contributing to market monopolisation and exploitative data practices. Source: EFF: Google Search Monopoly and Privacy Concerns (2025)

No Carbon Neutrality Goals - No goals for carbon neutrality is a bad sign as it shows lack of commitment to holding crucial thresholds for global climate warming.

Google recently erased its Carbon Neutrality Goals in favour of massively increasing its use of Gemini in its various products. Source: Toms Hardware: Google quietly removes net-zero carbon goal from website amid rapid power-hungry AI data center buildout (2025)

Monopoly - Market dominance that stifles competition and limits user choice.

Google utilises its market position in web search and operating systems to force its AI product onto users, undermining competition.MIT Technology Review: Google’s Gemini is now in everything. Here’s how you can try it out. (2024)The Verge: Google is paying Samsung an ‘enormous sum’ to preinstall Gemini (2025)

Support of Authoritarian Regimes - Companies actively supporting, financing and legitimising regimes and unethical policies.

Google has kissed Trump's ring by donating $1 million to his inauguration. Google is adapting its products to satisfy the administration.Time: How Google Appears to Be Adapting Its Products to the Trump Presidency (2025)