ChatGPT Energy Consumption Visualized
Summary
Analysis of the electricity and water consumption of ChatGPT, estimating daily usage based on prompt volume and server cooling requirements.
Key quotes
Using OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 model to generate a 100-word email alone sweats off more than an Evian bottle’s worth of water (519 millilitres)
we calculated that ChatGPT may presently use around 39.98 Million kWh per day
ChatGPT uses around 39.16 million gallons daily, the equivalent of everyone in Taiwan flushing their toilet at once.
The article calculates the environmental footprint of ChatGPT by combining Washington Post data on per-prompt resource use with user growth statistics. It highlights the strain on power grids and fresh water supplies.