OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pushed back against concerns over the water consumption of AI data centers, claiming that the amount of water used to power 38,000 ChatGPT queries is equivalent to the water required to produce a single almond.
“You know, I saw this thing going around about the water usage of ChatGPT. OpenAI and other technology companies have also been investing heavily in AI agents, which can require significantly more computing power than conventional chatbots. He claimed that the amount of water used to produce a single California almond could power 38,000 ChatGPT queries, while acknowledging that he did not have the exact calculations with him. Altman has previously said that a single ChatGPT query uses 0.3 milliliters of water, or roughly 1/15 of a teaspoon. Given that a gallon contains 3,785.41 milliliters, that estimate would mean roughly 3,800 ChatGPT queries use the equivalent amount of water required to produce one almond.
And it was like, every time you run a simple ChatGPT query, it’s like you run your shower for like six hours and the water never comes back and just it’s done,” Altman said.
These agents can handle more complex software tasks and are increasingly being deployed across industries including technology, finance and retail.
