AI is fueling the world’s energy and water crisis. OpenAI's ChatGPT's daily electricity usage is enough to power 170,000 American households. ChatGPT is a widely used artificial intelligence language model launched in 2022.

Researchers have lamented the environmental impact of AI.  Sustainability concerns surrounding AI technologies are gaining traction. There are calls for a reassessment of AI innovations and usage in the industry.

The Shocking Numbers in AI's Electricity and Water Usage

Electricity

ChatGPT's daily electricity usage exceeds half a million kilowatt-hours (kWh).  The AI uses energy equivalent to about 200 million user requests daily.

These figures equal the energy usage amount for 170,000 typical U.S. households each using around 29 kWh of electricity daily.

OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, has voiced concerns about the substantial energy needs of AI. Around the world, sustainability stakeholders are worried about the environmental impact of the technology.

If the world doubles the number of data centers to keep up with the demand for AI, it could lead to an 80% increase in emissions that contribute to global warming.

In the US, coal-fired power plants are being used more to meet the increasing energy needs of AI.

A sustainability study found that in just three years, AI servers could use as much energy as the whole country of Sweden.

The reason for this higher energy use is that AI operations are more complex. Generating AI queries can require up to 10 times the computing power compared to a regular online search.

Training systems like ChatGPT uses even more electricity.

Water

Beyond electricity, ChatGPT's water consumption is also raising eyebrows. A single ChatGPT conversation requires about 50 centiliters of water.  This adds another layer to the environmental impact of AI technology.

Tech giants use tons of water to cool AI centers. The process evaporates 9 liters per kWh. More AI means more water use.

The UN says 2/3 of the world faces serious water shortages for a month yearly. By 2030, almost half may endure severe water stress.

Every day survival requires water – around 3 liters for men and 2.2 liters for women. Shockingly, 1.1 billion people lack water access and 2.7 billion face scarcity for at least a month yearly.

Poor sanitation affects 2.4 billion people, exposing them to diseases like cholera. Tragically, two million, mainly children, die annually from diarrheal diseases.

70,000 AI Companies Heat Up The Planet and Draw Water

OpenAI's daily electricity usage is 4.9 million kWh. They use up to 12 liters of water for every kWh of electricity.

But the total number of AI companies in the world is around 70,000.

If 1 in 4 of these companies, like OpenAI, consumes a similar amount of power, the collective impact becomes staggering.

With over 115 million businesses currently using AI, and approximately 2 in 5 exploring its use, the demand for electricity and water in the AI sector is substantial.