The Hidden Environmental Cost of ChatGPT: What You Need to Know

While ChatGPT has become a go-to tool for everything from job advice to date-night jokes, its environmental impact is raising serious concerns.

“Every Question Has a Cost”

Using ChatGPT may seem harmless, but each interaction reportedly consumes about 500ml of clean water for every 10–50 queries — water used to cool massive data centers. On top of that, ChatGPT uses over 500,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity daily, enough to power 180,000 US homes.

“Please” and “Thank You” Could Cost Millions

Even being polite adds up. OpenAI’s founder jokingly noted that extra words like “please” could cost millions annually in compute time.

“AI can be energy-intensive,” OpenAI said, adding that they’re working to improve efficiency.

Water Scarcity Looms

With two-thirds of the global population projected to face water scarcity by 2050, the use of drinking-quality water for server cooling raises ethical questions. Experts warn that these cooling systems, necessary to prevent overheating, evaporate significant amounts of water.

Before your next query, consider: could Google — or your gran — give you the answer?