OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addresses growing scrutiny over the water footprint of AI systems, defending claims about ChatGPT’s water use and questioning viral comparisons that he says exaggerate the figures. Speaking on the *Sources* podcast, Altman argues that approximately 38,000 ChatGPT queries use about the same amount of water required to grow a single California almond.
Altman acknowledges the almond comparison is based on a number he recalls from memory and could be off, but he says it is in the right range. The outlets also note that earlier figures attributed to Altman put the water cost of one ChatGPT query at about 0.32 millilitres, while a 2019 study linked to researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that growing one California almond averages about 3.56 litres of water—calculations that can yield a lower ratio than 38,000. Altman also argues that modern data centres use water differently than older cooling systems, though water demand from server cooling—particularly evaporative systems—remains a concern in water-stressed regions.
