04/17/2023
AI chatbots like ChatGPT may not consume food, but did you know that they drink a significant amount of water? According to a recent study, some AI models can use up to 1.6 million gallons of water per year, which can have a significant impact on our environment. As the use of AI continues to grow, it's crucial to be mindful of its impact and ensure that we're using these technologies sustainably.
According to the researchers at the US-based universities, when we are addressing consumption in this context, “water cannot be recycled,” which is where most of the AI’s water usage is concentrated. The yet-to-be peer-reviewed research, posted as a pre-print in arXiv also estimates a conversation comprising 20-50 questions with the AI chatbot in a single system may “drink” a “500ml bottle of water”.
“While a 500ml bottle of water might not seem too much, the total combined water footprint for inference is still extremely large, considering ChatGPT’s billions of users,” said the researchers.
The water consumed also refers to clean freshwater (to prevent corrosion and bacterial development) which the data centres use for generating electricity as well as for cooling servers to run AI models, which was studied using a framework created by the researchers.
The study claims that while training GPT-3 alone, Microsoft may have consumed a staggering 700,000 litres of water, which is the same amount used to make 370 BMW cars.
Microsoft, which has invested billions of dollars, has also partnered with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Meanwhile, scientists have also noted Google's Language Model for Dialogue Application (LaMDA) which is used by the giant’s AI chatbot Bard can also consume a “stunning” amount of water in the order of millions of litres.
Therefore, researchers have expressed their concerns over the massive consumption of water by these AI chatbots and called for the companies to “take social responsibility” and address their “water footprint”.
According to the study, if the data had been generated in the tech giants’ less energy-efficient data centres in Asia, water use may have increased threefold. The number may also increase with the newly-launched GPT-4 AI system which has a larger model size, finds the study.
“AI models’ water footprint can no longer stay under the radar,” said the researchers, adding that water footprint must be addressed “as a priority as part of the collective efforts to combat global water challenges”.
Small changes, such as using more efficient AI models or reducing unnecessary usage, can make a big difference. Let's all work towards a more sustainable future for our planet.
