How Much Energy Does ChatGPT Use?
Summary
Analysis claims ChatGPT uses just 0.3 watt-hours per query, 10x less than prior 3 watt-hours estimates, due to efficiency gains in models and hardware.
This article challenges a widely cited estimate that ChatGPT uses 3 watt-hours of electricity per query, instead showing that 0.3 watt-hours is a more accurate measure for modern AI models like GPT-4o. The analysis evaluates improvements in hardware efficiency, updated model parameters, and usage patterns to arrive at this conclusion. The article also highlights variability in energy costs based on query complexity and input size, such as processing long documents or codebases.