Sam Altman Says a ChatGPT Query Uses ‘One Fifteenth of a Teaspoon’ of Water

In a recent blog post, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared some surprising insights into the environmental impact of using ChatGPT. According to Altman, each query made to ChatGPT consumes approximately 0.000085 gallons of water—equivalent to “roughly one fifteenth of a teaspoon.”

“People are often curious about how much energy a ChatGPT query uses; the average query uses about 0.34 watt-hours,” Altman wrote. “That’s about what an oven would use in a little over one second, or a high-efficiency lightbulb would use in a couple of minutes.” He added that he believes “the cost of intelligence should eventually converge to near the cost of electricity.”

Altman's remarks were part of a broader conversation on the future of artificial intelligence and its growing integration into daily life. While OpenAI has not detailed how these figures were calculated, the commentary comes at a time when the tech industry faces increasing scrutiny over the environmental footprint of AI.

A Washington Post investigation last year, conducted with the help of researchers, reported that generating a 100-word email with GPT-4 could use more than a full bottle of water. The study also pointed out that water usage varies by the location of a data center, as regional climate and cooling methods can significantly influence consumption.

As AI models like ChatGPT become more widespread, concerns are mounting about the long-term sustainability of their energy and water demands. Some experts have even projected that AI's total power consumption could surpass that of Bitcoin mining by year’s end.