Techie receives death threats after developing AI-based wedding buffet app

A Bengaluru-based tech professional has claimed that he received death threats after developing and sharing details about an AI-based application designed to manage wedding buffet systems.

The techie, identified as Pankaj, who works in Bengaluru, said he had created the AI-powered app purely as a fun side project to streamline buffet management at wedding receptions. He shared information about the app on social media, but soon after, he began receiving hundreds of hateful messages and even death threats. According to Pankaj, the backlash appears to stem from two main criticisms. Some social media users argued that training and deploying AI models requires significant electricity and water consumption, and accused him of harming the environment by using AI for what they described as a “non-essential” application. Others claimed that valuable AI technology was being wasted on trivial projects instead of being used for more serious purposes.

Responding to the criticism, Pankaj stated, “I just built a fun app. I’m not trying to cure cancer. Is it justified to stoop so low as to target my family and issue death threats over a simple buffet app?”

His post has shocked many netizens, with several users expressing concern over the growing toxicity on social media platforms. Many came out in support of the developer, stating that such extreme reactions to a small project are unwarranted. Some advised him not to be discouraged by the threats and to mute or block those spreading negativity, while others praised his work and encouraged him to continue innovating.

Meanwhile, concerns about the environmental impact of AI development have been widely discussed in recent years. According to a 2025 report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), developing powerful generative AI models requires substantial electricity and water resources.

Training a large AI model can consume as much electricity in a few weeks as hundreds of American households use in an entire year, thereby increasing carbon emissions. Additionally, millions of litres of clean water may be required to cool data center servers, with an estimated 500 millilitres of water used for certain cooling processes. While environmental concerns are valid, several observers have pointed out that issuing threats over such concerns is unacceptable and counterproductive.