OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said 38,000 ChatGPT queries use only as much water as it takes to produce a single almond – shrugging off widespread concerns over data centers’ water usage. The billionaire tech leader was discussing rampant backlash online against AI companies during an appearance on a Tuesday episode of the new “Sources” podcast with host Alex Heath.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman apologised after GPT-6 Astra’s rollout left many paying users waiting for access. The model initially launched only for enterprise customers using OpenAI’s cybersecurity platform,

Sam Altman has found himself at the centre of another debate over AI's environmental impact, this time involving something far less technical than data centres or energy grids: an almond.

OpenAI's latest model is being rolled out in stages after an uneven launch, raising questions for enterprises about access, governance and production readiness.

Regardless of whether it takes thousands of queries to match the water needed to produce a single almond in California (a number that varies substantially over time and space, according to a 2019 study), the Congressional Research Service says data centers are using more water than they used to.

Sam Altman says concerns about AI's water use are overblown, comparing ChatGPT's water use to that of growing almonds in California.