ChatGPT, Google Search need power to run: Here’s how much water and electricity are used to answer questions

Google Search has been the most prominent source of information and with the advent of AI, ChatGPT is another go-to place to get the work done. We quickly get answers to our queries but they come at a price, especially when it comes to AI, a report said.
According to a recent report in The Economic Times, a single year of using ChatGPT could consume enough energy to power New Zealand for three months and Nigeria for 4 months.This figure is estimated at 10 terawatt-hours (TWh), and highlights the environmental impact of AI.
A single ChatGPT query is said to utilise 2.9 watt-hours, nearly 10 times more than a Google search (0.3 watt-hours). With AI's computational needs rising every 100 days, the energy required for AI tasks is growing exponentially at rates between 26-36%.
By 2028, the computing power needed to power AI is projected to match Iceland's entire 2021 energy consumption, the report said. The International Energy Agency predicts the AI industry's energy consumption will skyrocket tenfold by 2026.

AI technology is also consuming another resource: Water. The report says that data centres – the lifeblood of AI – guzzle water for cooling. Microsoft, for instance, saw a 34% increase in energy consumption in just one year. In the same timeframe, it consumed 6.4 million cubic metres of water, up from 4.7 million cubic metres.
Just running a few basic AI queries can consume half a litre of water. As AI models become more complex, water usage is expected to climb even higher. By 2027, global AI demand could withdraw a staggering 4.2 to 6.6 billion cubic metres of freshwater – nearly half the amount consumed by the entire UK.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI's Sam Altman emphasises the need for energy breakthroughs, suggesting solar power and nuclear fusion as potential solutions. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has warned of an impending energy crisis due to AI's hunger for power, calling for either a pause in development or a shift towards sustainable energy sources.
Microsoft, however, sees AI as part of the climate solution. Company chairman and CEO Satya Nadella highlighted AI for Good initiatives in Egypt and Kenya, aiming to leverage AI for environmental resilience.