AI Energy Consumption Revealed: Surprisingly High Costs Exposed

A recent report by the MIT Technology Review sheds light on the energy consumption of artificial intelligence (AI) services. The findings suggest that even large-language models like ChatGPT use significant amounts of energy, ranging from 114 joules to 6,706 joules per response.

The report also reveals that AI-produced video content consumes an enormous amount of energy, equivalent to running a microwave for over an hour. Furthermore, the researchers estimated that asking an AI chatbot 15 questions and generating three five-second videos would consume roughly 2.9 kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to running a microwave for over 3.5 hours.

The investigation also found that the energy consumption of data centers powering the AI industry has doubled since 2017, with half of the electricity used going toward powering AI tools by 2028. As the use of generative AI continues to grow, it is essential to consider the environmental impact and costs associated with this technology.

Source: https://mashable.com/article/energy-ai-worse-than-we-thought