How much energy does ChatGPT consume? More than you think, but it’s not all bad news

Everything comes at a cost, and AI is no different. While ChatGPT and Gemini may be free to use, they require a staggering amount of computational power to operate. And if that wasn’t enough, Big Tech is currently engaged in an arms race to build bigger and better models like GPT-5. Critics argue that this growing demand for powerful — and energy-intensive — hardware will have a devastating impact on climate change. So just how much energy does AI like ChatGPT use and what does this electricity use mean from an environmental perspective? Let’s break it down.

ChatGPT energy consumption: How much electricity does AI need?