How much energy does ChatGPT really use? The hidden environmental cost of AI – Diario AS
A look at the immense environmental cost of AI, as energy usage to power these platforms is expected to double by the end of 2026.
Even insiders in the world of AI are warning about the consequences that unregulated deployment of the technology could have on societies and economies around the globe. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic and former vice president of research at OpenAI, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that AI could eliminate up to 50 percent of jobs—many held by college-educated workers—within the next five years. Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the grandfather of AI, echoed this concern on the Diary of a CEO podcast, warning that AI will reduce the demand for labor by making the remaining workers more productive.
These threats to the labor market are advancing far more rapidly than policymakers, many of whom support limiting states’ ability to regulate AI out of concern that it could make the U.S. less competitive. Yet, they seem largely uninterested in addressing the very real risks to the economic structure of American society. What happens when the tax base shrinks due to a rapid rise in unemployment? How do families pay rent or buy groceries if they can’t find work? If the number of jobs in the economy contracts, and competition for the remaining positions suppresses wages and labor standards, how will those ‘lucky’ enough to stay employed fare?
Another concern about AI—often overlooked—is its environmental impact. Paul Hoffman, writing for Best Brockers, estimated that ChatGPT alone consumed around 1.059 TWh (terawatt-hours) annually, a greater energy demand than countries like Guyana, Rwanda, and Barbados. Hoffman helpfully puts this figure into perspective: it’s enough to charge every electric car in the U.S. (around 3.3 million in 2023) four times, or to power over 100,000 American homes for a year.
And ChatGPT is just one player in the AI landscape, underscoring the immense carbon footprint the technology is beginning to leave behind. The Scientific American reported earlier this month that the total energy demand of AI servers represents around 1.5 percent of global energy use. However, the researchers expect this figure to double by the end of next year, as more individuals and businesses begin to use AI at greater numbers. “Generative AI itself is expected to consume 10 times more energy in 2026 than it did in 2023,” warned the research teams, while also noting that companies, like Google, who have invested greatly in the technology are expanding their physical energy infrastructure to ensure they can “accommodate these growing power needs.”
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