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Sam Altman Claims One Almond Takes Same Water as 38,000 ChatGPT Queries Amid Public Backlash over Data Centres
Altman said modern data centers use far less water than critics claim, while researchers and fact-checkers offered sharply different per-query estimates.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defended AI water usage on the Sources podcast, comparing 38,000 ChatGPT queries to a single California almond. He argued modern data centers use efficient closed-loop cooling, challenging perceptions of AI as environmentally catastrophic.
- Public discourse often centers on 'AI guilt' regarding data center environmental impact. Altman argued modern facilities utilize closed-loop liquid cooling systems that lose virtually no water to evaporation, unlike older industrial cooling technologies.
- While Altman claims 38,000 queries equal one almond, estimates vary significantly. A June 2025 blog post suggested roughly 11,000 queries per almond, while research published in the ACM estimated up to 50 mL per response.
- OpenAI now processes billions of prompts daily for roughly 900 million weekly active users. Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water daily, enough for a sizable town of 10,000 to 50,000 inhabitants.
- Social media users reacted with skepticism and memes, questioning the almond comparison's logic. Commenters noted that one cannot 'eat a ChatGPT prompt,' highlighting the disconnect between digital products and agricultural commodities.
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Fact check: Is Sam Altman right that almonds use more water than ChatGPT queries?
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. As Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs whether to require data centers to disclose how much water they use, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says concerns over AI’s water use don’t hold “up to any scrutiny.” On the Sources Podcast with Alex Heath released Tuesday, Altman […]
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman busts myths about how much water AI data centers really use
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pushed back against growing concerns over the amount of water used by AI data centers, saying the problem is being exaggerated.Altman said that roughly 38,000 ChatGPT queries use the same amount of water as...
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Total News Sources22
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 30%
R 20%
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