AsianFin -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a blog post Tuesday that the average ChatGPT query consumes about 0.000085 gallons of water—roughly one-fifteenth of a teaspoon—highlighting the environmental footprint of AI in his broader reflections on its future impact.

Altman also noted that each ChatGPT query uses around 0.34 watt-hours of electricity, comparable to the energy an oven uses in just over a second, or what a high-efficiency lightbulb might consume in a couple of minutes. He argued that over time, the cost of intelligence should fall to approach the cost of electricity.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to inquiries about the methodology behind Altman’s estimates.

The energy and water demands of AI technologies have drawn increasing scrutiny. Earlier this year, researchers warned that AI could surpass Bitcoin mining in energy consumption by year-end. A 2023 report by The Washington Post, in collaboration with researchers, found that generating a 100-word email using GPT-4 could consume more than a bottle of water, with actual usage varying by datacenter location.