Really? Bing Chat and ChatGPT could consume enough to power a small country for a year by 2027.

While impressive, generative AI is proving to be a resource-hungry venture.

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What you need to know

It’s no secret that most organizations and companies have plunged intogenerative AIsince its emergence last year. Undoubtedly, remarkable feats and untapped opportunities have been unlocked using the technology. For instance, it’s now easier for students tosolve complex math problems,medical advancements, and more.

But all these advances come at a cost, and an expensive one. We already know thatOpenAI parts with up to 700,000 dollars daily to run its AI-powered chatbot,ChatGPT. Running the chatbot is becoming an expensive venture because the company is reportedlyon the verge of bankruptcyamid user complaints that it isgetting dumber.

And now, according to a new study spotted byBBC, it’s feared that the resource-hungry technology could plausibly consume “as much energy as a country the size of the Netherlands by 2027.” This is because AI uses more energy compared to other conventional apps.

However, this depends on the exponential growth of the technology. But as it stands. Chances of this happening are rather slim to none, according to a recent report that showedChatGPT’s user base declined for three months consecutively. The same can be said aboutMicrosoft’s Bing Chatsinceits market share has stagnatedfor the greater part of this year despite itsmulti-billion dollar investmentin the technology.

AI consumes enough energy to power a small country

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While conducting this study, Alex De Vries, a PhD student at the VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics, assumed a couple of factors would remain constant through 2027. For instance, Alex assumed that the interest in AI technology among consumers would continue to grow, coupled with the availability of AI chips.

But if recent developments are anything to go by, AI chips might not be readily available for much longer. NVIDIA, a mass developer of the GPUs used in AI tech, is seeminglyunable to meet the rising demand for these chips, which has stunted the growth and development of AI advances. Microsoft has reportedly clocked this shortcoming and is preparing todebut its first dedicated AI chip next monthduring its annual developer conference, Ignite 2024. This is to mitigate costs and potentially make the venture more profitable for the company.

The researcher’s study further disclosed that if these factors remain constant, AI technology will consume approximately 85-134 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually by 2027. This is enough to power a small country with a sparse population like the Netherlands.

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Climatic and Environmental concerns

There’s already a rising concern over the amount of water used to cool data centers to run chatbots likeOpenAI’s ChatGPTandMicrosoft’s Bing Chat.Approximately 1 bottle of water is used for coolingevery time these chatbots are used to answer queries. While the research paper didn’t quantify the amount of energy or water required to keep this entire operation alive, primarily because tech firms don’t reveal this kind of information, it is evident that a lot of resources are factored in.

However, strategically placed data centers like Microsoft’s Iowa-based data centers have proven effective and efficient thanks to the location and temperate climate. These two factors significantly reduced the water used to cool down the servers.

Do you think tech firms can keep the generative AI ball rolling for much longer amid the energy concerns? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.