Google's AI Water Usage Claims Called Misleading by Experts
By
Justine Calma
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Summary
Google released a study claiming its Gemini AI assistant uses minimal resources per text prompt - about 5 drops of water and electricity equivalent to watching TV for less than 9 seconds. However, experts argue these claims are misleading and present an incomplete picture of AI's true environmental impact, as the study doesn't account for the full lifecycle and infrastructure costs of AI systems.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledGoogle estimates that a median Gemini text prompt uses up about five drops of water, or 0.26 milliliters
about as much electricity as watching TV for less than nine seconds, roughly 0.24 watt-hours (Wh)
experts say that the tech giant's claims are misleading
the study paints an incomplete picture of AI's environmental toll
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