this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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ChatGPT 5 power consumption could be as much as eight times higher than GPT 4 — research institute estimates medium-sized GPT-5 response can consume up to 40 watt-hours of electricity (www.tomshardware.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago by homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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The University of Rhode Island's AI lab estimates that GPT-5 averages just over 18 Wh per query, so putting all of ChatGPT's reported 2.5 billion requests a day through the model could see energy usage as high as 45 GWh.

A daily energy use of 45 GWh is enormous. A typical modern nuclear power plant produces between 1 and 1.6 GW of electricity per reactor per hour, so data centers running OpenAI's GPT-5 at 18 Wh per query could require the power equivalent of two to three nuclear power reactors, an amount that could be enough to power a small country.

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[–] msage@programming.dev 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

What exactly do you get for that power though?

The point is that it's too much power for little gain in return.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Arguably, a great deal more than the energy you lose from opening the door to your house in the summer, once while the A/C is running.

Or, looking at it another way, an AI query+result can be just as valuable as a Tik Tok post / view.

[–] msage@programming.dev 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I consider TikTok harmful, so you are right about your last sentence.

But my AC does not nor ever has actually consumed 4kW in an hour.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The average (US suburban 2200sq ft) home's A/C does consume 4kW while it is cycled on, and in the hotter than normal months of summer it can run continuous duty cycle for hours on end.

[–] msage@programming.dev 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You need better insulation then. That's crazy. Also outdoor blinds.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 1 week ago

Me, personally, we have trees and shade. So many subdivisions don't, and they have dark colored roofs, and then homeowners do bone-headed things like adding "sun rooms" - lots of those in Houston.

We get upset when our electric bill passes $300 for the month, but our neighbors with the 3500 sq ft? They never see it under $400.