During a recent event hosted by The Indian Express, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, tackled the topic of AI's environmental footprint. Altman, who was in India for a prominent AI summit, dismissed worries about AI's water consumption as "totally fake." He acknowledged that water use was once a concern when evaporative cooling was employed in data centers, but assured that such practices are no longer in use. "Claims that using ChatGPT consumes 17 gallons of water per query are entirely baseless," Altman asserted.
While Altman considers concerns about AI's water use unfounded, he believes it's reasonable to examine the total energy demand created by widespread AI adoption. He emphasized the necessity for a shift towards sustainable energy sources such as nuclear, wind, and solar power. Although tech firms are not legally obliged to report their energy and water consumption, independent scientists have taken the initiative to study these impacts. Rising electricity costs have been linked to the operation of data centers.
In response to a question referencing a conversation with Bill Gates, Altman refuted claims that a single ChatGPT query uses energy equivalent to 1.5 iPhone battery charges, dismissing the comparison as inaccurate. He criticized discussions about ChatGPT’s energy use as "unfair," particularly those comparing the energy needed to train AI models with what humans use for single inference queries.
Altman humorously pointed out that training a human requires significant energy, spanning over 20 years of life and all the sustenance consumed during that period. He highlighted the extensive evolutionary history of humanity, suggesting that AI, when measured in terms of energy efficiency for providing answers, might already be on par with humans.
To explore more of Altman's insights, including his views on energy and water use, the full interview is available, starting at roughly 26:35.