Overview

• Each ChatGPT query uses about 0.34 watt-hours of energy, roughly equivalent to an oven running for one second or a high-efficiency lightbulb for two minutes.
• Altman said the average query consumes approximately 0.000085 gallons of water, about one-fifteenth of a teaspoon.
• OpenAI has not provided details on how it calculated these energy and water usage metrics.
• Projections indicate global AI energy demand could surpass Bitcoin mining by the end of 2025 without efficiency gains.
• Data center location and local cooling requirements can cause significant variation in AI water consumption.