Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, believes that concerns regarding AI’s water usage are largely misguided, referring to the issue as a “meme” that lacks substantial basis. In a recent episode of the Sources podcast hosted by Alex Heath, Altman was prompted to discuss various pushbacks against AI, including its perceived high water consumption.
Altman clarified that while modern data centers are often portrayed as excessive consumers of water, their usage is comparable to that of an average office building. He stated, “That has been a robust meme and difficult to disprove, but I don’t think holds up to any scrutiny.” A report published in 2024 by a Virginia state government commission highlighted this point, showing that while some data centers consume more water, most use amounts similar to or less than those of large office structures.
The topic of water consumption has garnered public concern, evidenced by a Gallup report from May, which indicated that 71% of Americans were against the construction of data centers in their vicinity due to environmental worries. Among these concerns, 50% specifically pointed to resource impact, with 18% focusing on water usage.
Last year, a Business Insider investigation discussed how data centers were contributing to the water crisis in the Western United States, highlighting the reliance on water-intensive cooling techniques. However, the Data Center Coalition, representing industry interests, contended that developers employ various cooling methods, including waterless systems, and prioritize practices that consider local water availability.
In an illustrative comparison, Altman likened the water consumption involved in using ChatGPT to that needed for growing California almonds—a notoriously water-intensive crop. He noted that the water used for one almond dwarfs the amount needed for thousands of ChatGPT queries, suggesting that those consuming large quantities of almonds don’t typically feel guilty about their water footprint. Altman remarked, “The people that are scarfing down 12 almonds at a time don’t feel like they’re doing something horrible from a water perspective, for the most part.”
Although Altman’s comparison regarding water consumption remains unverified, it aligns with existing data showing that a single almond requires approximately 3.56 liters of water—close to a gallon—while the average ChatGPT query utilizes only 0.32 milliliters. Google’s Gemini app puts this figure at about 0.26 milliliters.
For Altman, the onus is on the industry to improve public perception. He remarked, “I think the right way to get people to like something is to deliver them value,” emphasizing the industry’s responsibility to create accessible products that provide genuine benefits to users.
