The energy consumption of AI technology, particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is raising eyebrows due to its significant electricity usage.
High Electricity Usage
According to a report from The New Yorker, ChatGPT consumes over half a million kilowatt-hours of electricity daily, responding to approximately 200 million requests per day. Comparing this to the average daily electricity usage of a US household, which is around 29 kilowatt-hours, ChatGPT’s consumption is more than 17,000 times higher.
Potential Impact of Generative AI
The adoption of generative AI technology, if further proliferated, could lead to even greater energy consumption. For instance, integrating such technology into every Google search could result in an annual electricity drain of about 29 billion kilowatt-hours. This surpasses the annual electricity consumption of entire countries like Kenya, Guatemala, and Croatia.
Energy Intensiveness of AI
Data scientist Alex de Vries highlights the energy-intensive nature of AI, noting that AI servers can consume as much power as multiple households combined. With the rapid expansion of the AI industry, the cumulative energy usage is expected to increase significantly.
Challenges in Estimating Energy Consumption
Estimating the energy consumption of the AI industry poses challenges due to the variability in the operation of large AI models and the lack of transparency from Big Tech companies regarding their energy usage. Despite efforts to calculate energy consumption based on available data, precise figures remain elusive.
Projections for AI Sector Energy Consumption
Based on calculations using data from Nvidia, de Vries predicts that the entire AI sector could consume between 85 to 134 terawatt-hours annually by 2027. This projection signifies a substantial portion of global electricity consumption, highlighting the magnitude of AI’s energy impact.
Comparison with Other Industries
The electricity consumption of the AI sector is expected to rival or surpass that of major industries. For example, Samsung, Google, and Microsoft, which are among the highest electricity-consuming businesses, pale in comparison to the projected energy usage of the AI sector by 2027.
OpenAI’s Response
OpenAI has not provided a response to inquiries regarding ChatGPT’s electricity consumption. As concerns regarding energy usage in the AI industry continue to mount, there is a growing need for transparency and efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of AI technologies.
Leave a Reply