Sam Altman: One Almond Uses More Water Than 38,000 ChatGPT Queries
As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life, the environmental cost of running AI systems is facing increasing scrutiny. One major concern is water consumption by data centres, which require cooling systems to keep powerful computers running.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has now addressed the debate, arguing that claims about AI consuming excessive amounts of water are exaggerated. He compared the water used by ChatGPT with the amount required to produce almonds in California.
Speaking on the Sources podcast, Altman said, “I hear more from people, I was able to get a cure to this horrible disease than, you know, I think that ChatGPT is using up all the water in the world,” he said.
He then offered his comparison: “For every 38,000 ChatGPT queries, that is the same amount of water that is used in the production of a single almond in California.” Altman added, “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.”
Altman acknowledged that he was recalling the figure from memory and said it could be inaccurate, although he believed it was close to the actual number.
In June, Altman had said that a single ChatGPT query uses 0.32 millilitres of water. Meanwhile, a 2019 study by researchers affiliated with the US Geological Survey estimated that producing one California almond requires an average of 3.56 litres of water. Based on those figures, one almond would correspond to roughly 11,000 ChatGPT queries.
AI water consumption becomes a debate
Altman also argued that public perception of data centre water consumption has developed into a “robust meme” that is difficult to correct. He pointed out that data centres once relied more heavily on evaporative cooling, but said, “they have not done that in a long time.”
Addressing exaggerated claims online, he said, “I saw this thing going around about the water usage of ChatGPT. And it was like every time you run a single ChatGPT query, it’s like, you know, you run your shower for like six hours, and the water never comes back,” he noted.
According to Altman, a modern, very large data centre uses “the equivalent amount of water as an office building” for routine requirements such as sinks and toilets. He added, “I don’t think it holds up to any scrutiny.”
His comments come as opposition to new data centres grows in the US. A May Gallup survey cited by Business Insider found that 71 per cent of Americans opposed having a data centre near their home. Environmental impact and resource use were among the main concerns, with 18 per cent specifically citing water use.
At the same time, data centre water consumption varies considerably. A 2024 Virginia state government commission report found that most facilities used water at levels similar to or below those of an average large office building. However, research in the western US has warned that water-intensive cooling technologies can worsen existing shortages.
Tech companies are also working to reduce their water footprint. Amazon reported that its data centre water use fell 2 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year, while Microsoft said its water efficiency had improved by up to 90 per cent compared with its earliest facilities.