OpenAI's Sam Altman says 38,000 ChatGPT queries equal 1 almond
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says concerns about AI data centers wasting water are blown out of proportion.
On a recent podcast, he compared ChatGPT's water use to everyday things, saying 38,000 queries use the same water as one almond, not nearly as much as some viral claims suggest.
Altman defends water use amid protests
Altman explained that while older data centers did use water for cooling, newer ones are much more efficient, using about the same amount of water as regular office buildings.
He put it simply: Altman said such claims don't "hold up to any scrutiny" and that a modern, very large data center uses "the equivalent amount of water as an office building."
Still, despite these reassurances, communities across the US are protesting data centers over not just water but also noise and light pollution.
Even US President Trump weighed in recently, urging people to accept these centers for economic growth despite environmental worries.