For every 20 to 50 questions ChatGTP is asked, it “drinks” a bottle of water according to new research.
OpenAI’s AI chatbot has soared in popularity thanks to its uncanny ability to accurately answer our questions. After being made available to the public for testing last November, it has been used for everything from poetry to coding and even answering exam questions meant for medical students.
But despite billions of users around the world, there’s still very little research on what environmental impact AI like this is having.
A new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Riverside and the University of Texas Arlington in the US gives some insight into its water consumption. The paper has not yet been peer-reviewed and has been shared ahead of its publication.
Its authors say that the “water footprint” of these AI models has so far “remained under the radar”.