Altman pushes back on rumours about ChatGPT’s high water consumption
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, addressed concerns about the resource consumption of artificial intelligence. He rejected worries about water usage as unfounded, but acknowledged that energy consumption is a legitimate concern, CNBC reports. During an interview at the India AI Impact Summit, he refuted online claims about ChatGPT’s water consumption per query, calling them “completely untrue” and detached from reality.
Altman acknowledged that data centres have traditionally been heavily dependent on water for cooling, but pointed to advances in cooling technologies that reduce consumption. He stressed the need to switch to nuclear and renewable energy sources to meet AI’s growing energy demand.
Responding to Bill Gates’ suggestion that the efficiency of the human brain demonstrates AI’s potential for improved energy efficiency, Altman countered that extensive resources are needed to develop a human being, including 20 years of life and upkeep. He argued that a fair comparison should focus on the energy consumption of a trained AI model answering a query versus a person doing the same, suggesting that in that context AI may already have achieved comparable energy efficiency.
Altman’s remarks sparked a debate, with some critics, such as Sridhar Vembu, co-founder of Zoho Corporation, rejecting the comparison between AI and humans. The discussion is taking place at a time of substantial investment in data centres to support AI’s computing needs, leading to concerns about electricity consumption and environmental impact.
The International Monetary Fund reported that global electricity consumption by data centres in 2023, shortly after the launch of ChatGPT, reached a level comparable to that of Germany or France. In response, some governments are fast-tracking approval processes for new energy sources, prompting environmental activists to worry about potential clashes with net-zero targets. Local communities have also voiced opposition to data centre projects, fearing overloaded power grids and higher costs.
Tech leaders such as Altman are advocating a diversification of energy production by adding renewable and nuclear sources to address these concerns.
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