Technology
Sam Altman downplays public concerns over AI data center water consumption
The OpenAI CEO argued that modern facilities consume amounts comparable to office buildings, though local opposition to data centers remains widespread.
The short version
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that widespread fears regarding excessive water usage by artificial intelligence data centers are exaggerated.
- Altman argued that a modern data center consumes about as much water as an average large office building, comparing query resource costs favorably against agricultural water use.
- Public skepticism remains high, with polling showing strong local resistance to data center construction driven partly by environmental and resource concerns.
Key facts
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed on the Sources podcast that public concerns over AI water consumption do not hold up to scrutiny, comparing a modern data center's water usage to that of a large office building.[Business Insider]
- Altman argued that growing a single California almond requires more water than thousands of ChatGPT queries, with estimates attributing roughly 0.32 milliliters to an average ChatGPT query compared to about 3.56 liters for an almond.[Business Insider]
- A 2024 Virginia state government commission report determined that while water usage varied across facilities, most data centers used the same or less water than a typical large office building.[Business Insider]
- A May Gallup report found that 71% of Americans opposed local data center construction, with 70% citing environmental worries and 18% explicitly naming water usage.[Business Insider]
What remains uncertain
- The extent of water impact varies widely by site, as some facilities use water-intensive evaporative cooling while others employ closed-loop or waterless systems, leaving localized environmental impacts subject to ongoing debate.[Business Insider]
Sources
- Sam Altman says fears that AI data centers guzzle water are overblown — but hard to dispelBusiness Insider metered