Technology · 3 September 2026

Altman says 38,000 ChatGPT queries equal one almond

TechCrunch via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Sam Altman told the Sources podcast that 38,000 ChatGPT queries use as much water as growing a single California almond, dismissing AI water fears as a meme. He admitted he was quoting from memory and might be wrong. His own past figure of 0.32 millilitres per query, against a study putting one almond at 3.56 litres, works out closer to 11,000.

By BriefTea Editorial · 3 September 2026 at 16:48

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Why are almonds a good comparison? Who is Sam Altman? Why are figures so different?

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