A new report reveals that OpenAI’s widely used chatbot, ChatGPT, devours a staggering amount of electricity – over half a million kilowatt-hours daily!
That’s more than 17,000 times the daily energy consumption of an average US household. And it’s not just ChatGPT – the broader trend of generative AI, which can create realistic text formats, is poised to become a major electricity guzzler.
Experts warn that if this technology becomes mainstream, the environmental impact could be significant. A data scientist’s calculations suggest that integrating generative AI into every Google search could slurp up a mind-boggling 29 billion kilowatt-hours annually – more electricity than entire countries use in a year!
Why so much power? The culprit seems to be the energy-hungry nature of AI servers. Each one can guzzle as much electricity as over a dozen homes combined.
Estimating the total AI industry’s electricity consumption is tricky, thanks to the secretive nature of Big Tech and the variations in how these models operate. However, a study based on data from a leading AI chipmaker predicts the entire AI sector could consume an eye-watering 85 to 134 terawatt-hours annually by 2027.
That’s enough to power a significant chunk of the world, potentially reaching up to half a percent of global electricity consumption. Even today’s most electricity-intensive businesses pale in comparison. Tech giants like Google and Microsoft use a fraction of what AI is projected to consume.
As AI continues to infiltrate and revolutionize various industries, tackling its energy footprint becomes paramount. Researchers are scrambling to develop more energy-efficient AI algorithms and hardware. The future of AI seems bright, but ensuring its sustainability is crucial to achieving a greener tomorrow.
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