In recent years, ChatGPT has exploded in popularity, with nearly 200 million users pumping a total of over a billion prompts into the app every day. These prompts may seem to complete requests out of thin air.
But behind the scenes, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are using a massive amount of energy. In 2023, data centers, which are used to train and process AI, were responsible for 4.4% of electricity use in the United States. Across the world, these centers make up around 1.5% of global energy consumption. These numbers are expected to skyrocket, at least doubling by 2030 as the demand for AI grows.
