How Much Energy Do Google Search and ChatGPT Use?
Summary
A comparison of the energy consumption and environmental impact of single queries performed on Google Search versus ChatGPT.
Key quotes
a single search requires about 0.0003 kWh of energy
ChatGPT’s massive language model processes it, using an estimated 2.9 Wh of energy. That’s nearly ten times what it takes for a single Google search.
The post provides a quantitative comparison between traditional search engine indexing and generative AI inference costs. It discusses the scale of daily energy usage for both services.