OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is pushing back against claims of excessive energy and water consumption by artificial intelligence. Speaking in India, Altman stated that AI's resource use over its lifetime is comparable to that of an average human.
He specifically refuted reports that a single ChatGPT query consumes 17 gallons of water and the equivalent of 1.5 iPhone battery charges. Altman explained that modern data centers employ efficient cooling methods, rendering older concerns about water usage obsolete.
While acknowledging AI's overall energy footprint as a significant issue, Altman argued it should accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources like nuclear, wind, and solar.
Altman also criticized comparisons that pit the energy required to train AI models against the energy used by the human brain for specific tasks. He proposed a fairer comparison: the total energy to train an AI model and respond to a query versus the lifetime energy consumption of a human performing the same task, suggesting AI has already achieved parity.
Addressing Elon Musk's vision of placing data centers in orbit, Altman dismissed the concept as "ridiculous" for the current decade. He cited prohibitive launch costs and the impracticality of repairs as major hurdles, stating that terrestrial power generation remains far more cost-effective.