Sam Altman explains energy cost of a single ChatGPT query
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has offered new insights into the environmental footprint of ChatGPT, disclosing fresh figures on both its water and energy consumption. In a blog post published on Tuesday, Altman addressed growing curiosity around the resource demands of artificial intelligence models. 'People are often curious about how much energy a ChatGPT query uses; the average query uses about 0.34 watt-hours, about what an oven would use in a little over one second, or a high-efficiency lightbulb would use in a couple of minutes,' Altman explained.advertisementTurning to water usage, Altman revealed that the average ChatGPT query consumes approximately 0.000085 gallons of water, which he equated to 'roughly one fifteenth of a teaspoon.' These figures form part of a broader blog post in which Altman shares his vision of how artificial intelligence will reshape the world. 'The cost of intelligence should eventually converge to near the cost of electricity,' he added, suggesting that the operational expenses of AI will ultimately be driven primarily by energy prices."In the 2030s, intelligence and energy—ideas, and the ability to make ideas happen—are going to become wildly abundant. These two have been the fundamental limiters on human progress for a long time; with abundant intelligence and energy (and good governance), we can theoretically have anything else." he stated in the post.advertisement
OpenAI has not yet clarified how Altman arrived at these particular estimates. However, his remarks arrive amid increasing scrutiny over the energy and environmental costs associated with AI technologies. In recent months, concerns have grown as researchers warn that the rapid expansion of AI could soon rival the energy demands of cryptocurrency mining. According to projections published earlier this year, global AI operations may end up consuming more electricity than Bitcoin mining by the end of 2025, raising alarms about the sector's long-term sustainability.Last year, The Washington Post collaborated with researchers to investigate the water consumption involved in AI usage. Their analysis determined that generating a 100-word email using GPT-4 required 'a little more than 1 bottle' of water. The publication also noted that actual water usage can vary significantly depending on the geographical location of the data centres powering the models, as local cooling requirements and environmental factors differ widely.While Altman's latest figures suggest that each individual query uses only a minimal amount of resources, the cumulative effect remains substantial given the enormous volume of global AI queries processed daily. Industry experts argue that transparency on these metrics is essential as AI becomes more deeply integrated into everyday life, particularly at a time when the world is grappling with climate change and the need for more sustainable technology practices.As the AI industry continues to grow at a breakneck pace, the debate over its environmental impact is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
IYO sues OpenAI and others For 'willful' trademark infringement and unfair competition
IYO Inc, a California-based wearable tech startup founded by former Google engineer, Jason Rugolo , has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI , its CEO Sam Altman , former Apple designer Jony Ive, and their hardware venture, IO Products Inc, alleging 'willful' trademark infringement and unfair competition. To be updated Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Facebook-parent Meta ‘struggles' to keep AI staff despite big salaries, claims report
Facebook-parent Meta is facing a wave of exits from its artificial intelligence (AI) team, as top talent increasingly moves to rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic, according to The SignalFire State of Talent Report – 2025, dated May 20. It says that despite offering salaries of over $2 million a year, Meta is losing skilled AI professionals, reflecting a broader challenge in Big Tech as demand for AI experts surges. The report highlights Anthropic as the leader in retention, holding on to 80% of its AI employees—outpacing peers like DeepMind (78%), OpenAI (67%), and Meta (64%). As per the report, Anthropic's success is credited to a culture that values independence and encourages open debate, appealing to those frustrated by corporate bureaucracy. It has also managed to hire top talent from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Stripe—and Meta itself. Venture capitalist Deedy Das recently shared a post on social platform X stating that despite Meta's high compensation offers, he observed three top-level exits to competitors in just one week. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo 'Meta is currently offering $2M+/yr in offers for AI talent and still losing them to OpenAI and Anthropic. Heard ~3 such cases this week. The AI talent wars are absolutely ridiculous. Today, Anthropic has the highest ~80% retention 2 years in and is the #1 (large) company top AI researchers wants to go,' he wrote in the post. This comes at a time when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is leading efforts to form a "superintelligence" team of about 50 experts to pursue artificial general intelligence (AGI). Meanwhile, Meta is also reportedly planning a $15 billion investment in Scale AI, a data-labelling company, to deepen its AI capabilities. In April, Joelle Pineau, Meta's VP of AI Research, stepped down—adding to concerns about Meta's ability to meet its AI goals, especially with a $65 billion infrastructure push planned for 2025. BRAVIA 2 II: 10 Things You MUST Know About the New Sony BRAVIA 55-Inch TV! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Paytm, Mobikwik shares slip; US onsite visas stall
Paytm, Mobikwik shares slip; US onsite visas stall Also in the letter: Paytm, Mobikwik shares drop after government denies MDR on UPI Driving the news: Paytm shares fell as much as 10% intraday, briefly erasing Rs 6,123 crore in market cap, before recovering slightly to close 6.56% down at Rs 897.20. Mobikwik shares dropped 3% to Rs 273.05 during trade, before closing 2.68% lower at Rs 273.95, reducing its market value to Rs 2,128 crore. Backdrop: Earlier media reports suggested the government may introduce MDR charges on UPI transactions above Rs 3,000. During recent earnings calls, Paytm executives had voiced cautious optimism about MDR returning, which could benefit payment companies grappling with rising infrastructure costs. But the Finance Ministry dismissed these reports, calling them 'completely false, baseless, and misleading.' By the numbers: UPI processed 18.68 billion transactions worth Rs 25.14 lakh crore in May, up 33% year-on-year. Average daily transaction value stood at Rs 81,106 crore, with 602 million daily transactions. For FY24, UPI accounted for 80% of India's retail digital payments. Also Read: Why it matters: Also Read: US onsite visas stall for Indian techies amid slowdown, immigration pressure What's the story: Firms such as TCS, Infosys and Wipro have kept hundreds of approved candidates on hold, waiting for travel approvals or visa stamping, people familiar with the matter told ET. At one IT firm, nearly 600 employees selected for assignments in 2023-24 are still waiting for deployment. The reasons: Subcontracting costs — traditionally used to bridge talent gaps — have declined, as firms optimise general and administrative expenses, according to Kotak Institutional Equities. The numbers: The US issued 11,080 H-1B visas to Indian nationals in April, 11,067 in March, and 13,749 in February, per US State Department data. The annual cap for Indian H-1B visa allotments remains at 85,000. Why it matters: Also Read: Sponsor ETtech Top 5 & Morning Dispatch! Why it matters: The opportunity: Reach a highly engaged audience of decision-makers. Boost your brand's visibility among the tech-savvy community. Custom sponsorship options to align with your brand's goals. What's next: OpenAI in fresh funding talks with Saudi PIF, Reliance The latest: The company is looking to secure $30 billion in the second tranche by December, which would value it at about $260 billion pre-money, the report said. SoftBank, which leads the round, has already invested nearly $2 billion and bought another $240 million worth of shares from employees earlier this year. SoftBank is expected to commit about three-fourths of this tranche, while Coatue and Founders Fund may invest at least $100 million each, according to the report. Talks with PIF and Reliance are still in early stages and may evolve, The Information added. OpenAI wants to partner with Reliance to distribute and sell its AI products in India, which CEO Sam Altman has called its second-largest user market. India context: In February, Altman visited India and met government officials and business leaders, including executives from Reliance. As reported by ETtech, OpenAI has also partnered with India's Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) to launch OpenAI Academy India, focused on AI skill development. Separately, Reliance Jio is expanding its AI infrastructure ambitions through investments in data centres, a potential future avenue for collaboration with OpenAI. Also Read: Between the lines: The massive fundraise comes as OpenAI projects capital spending of $90 billion between 2025 and 2027, driven by soaring compute needs as ChatGPT's weekly active users crossed 500 million. Completion of the round hinges on OpenAI completing a corporate restructuring of its for-profit unit by year-end. If that fails, SoftBank may cut its commitment and reduce the round to $20 billion, per the report. The Stargate project, OpenAI's $500 billion global AI data centre buildout with SoftBank, MGX and Oracle, remains a parallel track. Indian semiconductor firms go global to fast-track chipmaking ambitions Driving the moves: Tata Electronics and L&T Semiconductor Technologies (LTSCT) have made strategic bids to acquire foreign chip assets. LTSCT and Kaynes Semicon are jointly acquiring Fujitsu General Electronics' power modules business in Japan for Rs 118.34 crore. Polymatech acquired US-based semiconductor equipment provider Nisene Technology last year to build an integrated manufacturing base. The big picture: Indian firms are eyeing advanced packaging, OSAT (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test), and precision manufacturing capabilities to upskill local talent and establish robust training pipelines. India already has strength in chip design, but access to specialised IP, equipment and know-how remains limited. Why Malaysia matters: Expert view: 'Most acquisitions and partnerships at the moment are really about two things: gaining access to trained talent – essentially acqui-hires – and jump-starting work on cutting-edge technologies,' said Prithvideep Singh of Continental Device India Ltd (CDIL). 'All the JVs and strategic partnerships are a result of the need for Indian entities to build their core competency with best in class proven technology and manufacturing processes,' added Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research. Why it matters: Musk's net worth edges up after Trump apology Catch up quick: Backstory: The tensions stemmed from Musk mocking Trump's economic policy proposals, referring to his spending bill as 'The Big Ugly Bill.' Musk had also stepped down from the Department of Government Efficiency before launching several critical posts. What Trump said: Meanwhile: Also Read: Paytm and Mobikwik stocks slide after MDR rumour sparks selloff. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5.■ OpenAI seeks fresh funds■ Indian semicon goes global■ Musk's apology worksShares of digital payments players Paytm and Mobikwik slipped on Thursday after the finance ministry denied media reports that it was considering levying a merchant discount rate (MDR) on UPI fintech players argue that MDR is needed to sustain payment infrastructure, the government remains firm on keeping UPI free for consumers and merchants to promote digital payments at IT majors are pausing deputations to the US, delaying onsite assignments for thousands of skilled workers even after visa clearances, amid softening client demand and tighter immigration US immigration policies remain tight, executives say business uncertainty and slowing client budgets are bigger factors driving caution. AI-led efficiencies are also shrinking the need for extensive onsite onsite assignments have historically been critical for employee retention and career growth in Indian IT. But with delayed deputations extending to 24 months for many, firms are now prioritising previously selected employees over fresh nominations for Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and Reach out to us at spotlightpartner@ to explore sponsorship has held discussions with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Reliance Industries and UAE's MGX to raise fresh capital as part of its $40 billion megafund , US tech publication The Information chipmakers are turning to overseas acquisitions to bridge capability gaps as they push to build a domestic semiconductor ET reported on June 3 , Tata Electronics is exploring OSAT or fab acquisitions in Malaysia to accelerate its entry into semiconductor manufacturing and domestic semiconductor fabs remain years away, strategic overseas acquisitions are helping Indian companies fast-track capability building in advanced packaging — a crucial step for future global Musk's net worth climbed slightly after his public apology to Donald Trump over recent comments, as the two leaders sought to patch up wealth rose by $191 million to reach $411.4 billion, according to Forbes' real-time tracker. The Tesla CEO posted on X : 'I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.'After the apology, Trump told the New York Post: 'I thought it was very nice that he did that.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump appreciated Musk's has unveiled a new 'Trump Card' US residency visa programme priced at $5 million, with registrations open on The programme, still under development, promises wealthy applicants a path to US residency, though details remain scarce.
