Setting the Record Straight: The Energy and Environmental Costs
The accusation that interacting with ChatGPT costs $1,000,000 per query has no credible backing. The operational cost per query is closer to $0.0004 (under 0.04 cents).
This low cost makes the energy footprint for an avid user negligible compared to a household's daily consumption.
The Broader Implications of AI Energy Use
While concerns regarding energy requirements and carbon footprints are valid, the cost per user interaction remains astonishingly low compared to traditional web searches.
The combined yearly energy usage for ChatGPT can amount to about 226 GWh — enough to charge over three million electric cars — a testament to its scale rather than individual interaction impact.
So the next time you express your gratitude to ChatGPT, rest assured that your "thank you" is more sustainable than you might've thought.