Latest Delhi – OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is pushing back against concerns about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence, arguing that the energy demands of AI are often overstated when compared to the resources required to develop and sustain human intelligence. Speaking at an event hosted by The Indian Express this week, Altman addressed anxieties surrounding both water and energy consumption, particularly as his company and competitors like Anthropic expand their presence in India’s rapidly growing digital landscape.
Altman dismissed claims that using tools like ChatGPT consumes significant amounts of water as “totally fake,” explaining that OpenAI no longer relies on evaporative cooling in its data centers, a process that previously required substantial water usage. He acknowledged the issue was legitimate in the past, but insisted reports circulating online – including claims of 17 gallons of water per query – are “completely untrue, totally insane, no connection to reality.” The discussion comes as OpenAI and Anthropic compete for influence in India, a key market with roughly 100 million weekly ChatGPT users and a growing base for Anthropic’s Claude tools, according to recent reports.
AI’s Energy Footprint: A Broader Perspective
While downplaying water usage concerns, Altman conceded that the overall energy consumption of AI is a valid point of discussion. He emphasized that the concern should focus on the total energy used by the world’s increasing reliance on AI, rather than the energy required for each individual query. “It’s fair to be concerned about the energy consumption—not per query, but in total, because the world is now using so much AI,” he said. Altman believes a swift transition to renewable energy sources – specifically nuclear, wind, and solar power – is crucial to mitigating the environmental impact.
The lack of transparency surrounding energy and water usage by tech companies is a growing concern. Currently, there is no legal requirement for these companies to disclose this information, leading scientists to independently study the issue, as reported by NPR in May 2025. These studies have too revealed a connection between data centers and rising electricity prices.
Human Intelligence vs. Artificial Intelligence: An Energy Comparison
Altman took a somewhat unconventional approach to the energy debate, drawing a comparison between the energy required to run AI models and the energy needed to develop and sustain human intelligence. Referencing a conversation with Bill Gates, he was asked about claims that a single ChatGPT query uses the equivalent of 1.5 iPhone battery charges. Altman dismissed this as an exaggeration, stating, “There’s no way it’s anything close to that much.”
He argued that discussions focusing solely on the energy required to train AI models are “unfair,” as they fail to account for the immense energy investment required to develop a human brain. “But it also takes a lot of energy to train a human,” Altman said. “It takes like 20 years of life and all of the food you eat during that time before you get smart. And not only that, it took the very widespread evolution of the 100 billion people that have ever lived and learned not to get eaten by predators and learned how to figure out science and whatever, to produce you.”
Altman’s argument centers on a comparison of inference – the energy used to answer a question once a model is trained – versus the energy required for the entire process of human development. He believes that, on an energy efficiency basis, AI has likely already caught up to humans in this regard.
The India AI Summit and a Growing Rivalry
Altman’s remarks came during a major AI summit in New Delhi, where a notable moment captured the intensifying rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic. A photograph of Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei standing alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed both executives extending fists instead of shaking hands, a gesture quickly going viral on social media. As CNBC reported, this seemingly compact act symbolized the competition between the two companies to become the dominant force in the AI landscape.
Both OpenAI and Anthropic are making significant investments in India, recognizing its potential as a major market. OpenAI opened an office in New Delhi last August, while Anthropic announced plans to expand into the region in October, focusing on partnerships with enterprise customers like Infosys to develop custom AI agents for various industries.
As AI continues to evolve and become more integrated into daily life, the debate surrounding its environmental impact will undoubtedly intensify. The need for sustainable practices and transparent reporting from tech companies will become increasingly critical, particularly as the demand for AI-powered services continues to grow. The next major checkpoint in this discussion will likely be further independent research into the energy and water usage of data centers, and potential policy changes requiring greater disclosure from tech companies.
What are your thoughts on the environmental impact of AI? Share your comments below and join the conversation.
