Google has released a technical report detailing how much energy its Gemini apps use for each query, providing the most transparent estimate yet from a major tech company with a popular AI product. The median prompt consumes 0.24 watt-hours of electricity, equivalent to running a standard microwave for about one second.
According to Google’s chief scientist Jeff Dean, the majority of the energy used by AI chips accounts for only 58% of the total electricity demand. Other significant portions are used by equipment needed to support AI-specific hardware, host machine CPUs and memory, backup equipment, and overhead associated with running a data center.
The report also estimates greenhouse gas emissions per unit of electricity at 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide, which is roughly one-third of those on the average grid where Google operates due to its clean energy purchases. Additionally, each prompt consumes 0.26 milliliters of water.
Google’s figure provides a comprehensive analysis of AI energy consumption and follows recent pressure on companies to release more information about the energy toll of the technology. The report is significant for researchers and analysts, who have been seeking transparency from major tech companies in this area.
However, some limitations remain, such as the lack of data on total queries submitted to Gemini each day, which would allow estimates of the AI tool’s total energy demand. Google also retains control over what details are shared, with the goal of providing users a window into the energy use of their interactions with AI.
Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/08/21/1122288/google-gemini-ai-energy