Sam Altman Challenges Viral Claims About ChatGPT’s Water Consumption
What Happened
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pushed back against the widely shared claim that a single ChatGPT query consumes as much water as a six-hour shower. Speaking on the Sources podcast, Altman called the comparison misleading and said that, based on his recollection, the water used for roughly 38,000 ChatGPT queries is comparable to the amount needed to produce one California almond. He also argued that modern data centers no longer rely heavily on older evaporative cooling systems that consumed large volumes of water.
Key Takeaways
The comments are part of a broader debate over AI's environmental footprint as data centers expand globally. While Altman argues that concerns about ChatGPT's water use are often exaggerated, experts note that AI infrastructure still consumes significant water and energy, and estimates vary depending on what is included in the calculations.