# OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's shocking response to energy question

*news.com.au* · https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAN2HoWtUWM

## Summary

This news report covers OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's controversial comments comparing the energy used to train a human to the energy used to train AI models, made during a Q&A at the Indian AI Impact Summit. His remarks sparked backlash from critics including Sridhar Vembu, Louisa Jewell and Matt Stoller. The report also covers rising energy prices linked to data centers and awkward moments at the summit, including Bill Gates and Jensen Huang withdrawing and Altman refusing to hold hands with rival CEO Dario Amodei.

## Key points

- Sam Altman argued that training a human takes about 20 years of life and food, plus the evolution of the 100 billion people who have ever lived.
- Altman claimed the fair comparison is energy per query after training, and that AI has probably already caught up on that basis.
- Altman dismissed online claims that a ChatGPT query uses 17 gallons of water as completely untrue.
- Altman acknowledged total AI energy consumption is real and said we need to move towards nuclear, wind and solar very quickly.
- Sridhar Vembu said he does not want to see a world where we equate a piece of technology to a human being.
- One resident reported her average electricity bill spiked 23% in the last year, with the electric company citing data centers and AI as a reason.
- Bill Gates pulled out as keynote speaker hours before appearing, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang withdrew due to illness.
- Sam Altman and Dario Amodei refused to hold hands during a photo opportunity, creating the summit's most memorable moment.

## Notes

### Altman's Energy Comparison
- Sam Altman argued comparisons between AI and human energy use are unfair because training a human takes "like 20 years of life and all of the food you eat" before they get smart.
- He added that it took the evolution of the 100 billion people who have ever lived to produce a modern human.
- The fair comparison, he said, is the energy for one inference query after training, and on that measure AI has probably already caught up with humans.

### His Response to Resource Criticism
- Altman dismissed internet claims such as "don't use ChatGPT, it's 17 gallons of water for each query" as completely untrue and having no connection to reality.
- He conceded that total energy consumption from the world's heavy AI use is real.
- He said we need to move towards nuclear, wind and solar very quickly.

### The Backlash
- Indian billionaire Sridhar Vembu said, "I do not want to see a world where we equate a piece of technology to a human being."
- Louisa Jewell, a leading voice in AI governance, saw it as a strange way to escape environmental scrutiny.
- American commentator and author Matt Stoller called Altman a sociopath.

### Real-World Energy Impact
- The number and scale of data centers continues to grow, and in some parts of the US this is causing energy prices to skyrocket.
- One resident, Laura, said a data center emits a low hum 24/7 and her average electricity bill spiked 23% in the last year.
- Her electric company warned prices could rise even more, citing increased electricity use from data centers and artificial intelligence.

### The Indian AI Impact Summit
- The Q&A took place on the sidelines of the Indian AI Impact Summit.
- Bill Gates pulled out as keynote speaker only hours before he was due to appear; Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang withdrew due to illness.
- In a photo opportunity meant to show unity, Sam Altman and Dario Amodei refused to hold hands, the summit's most memorable moment.

## Transcript

[00:00] One of the things that is always unfair in this comparison is people talk about how much energy it takes to train an AI model relative to how much it cost a human to do one inference query. But it also takes a lot of energy to train a human. It takes like 20 years of life and all of the food you eat during that time before you get smart. And not only that, it took like the very widespread evolution of the 100 billion people that have ever lived and learned not to get eaten by predators and learned how to like figure out science and whatever to produce you. And then you took whatever you you know, you took. So, the fair comparison is if you ask ChatGPT a question, how much energy does it take once its model is trained

[00:39] to answer that question versus a human. And probably AI has already caught up on an energy efficiency basis measured that way. >> OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, has found himself in hot water yet again. His comparison of human [music] energy consumption to AI energy consumption has sparked intense backlash. The comments were made during a Q&A session hosted by The Indian Express where Altman was questioned about one of AI's biggest criticisms, its use of resources. >> You know, you see these like things on the internet where don't use ChatGPT, it's 17 gallons of water for each query or whatever. This is completely untrue, totally insane, no no connection to reality. What is fair though is the energy

[01:25] consumption, not per query, but in total because the world is now using so much AI is real and we need to move towards nuclear or wind and solar very quickly. >> Critics online took issue with Altman's justification. Indian billionaire businessman, Sridhar Vembu, said, "I do not want to see a world where we equate a piece of technology to a human being." Louisa Jewell a leading voice in AI governance, saw it as a strange way to escape environmental scrutiny. And American commentator and author Matt Stoller went so far as to call Altman a sociopath. The AI energy debate is only getting more heated as the number and scale of data centers continues to grow. In some parts of the US, the drain on resources is [music] causing energy

[02:14] prices to skyrocket. >> Laura tells us the data center emits a low hum 24/7, [music] and it's not just the noise taking a toll. She says in the last year her average electricity bill has spiked 23%. >> And how do you budget when it's changing that much in one year? >> can't. >> [music] >> And the electric company warned prices could rise even more. >> They need more power at the data centers. [music] >> Saying one reason why is increased electricity use from data centers and artificial intelligence. >> The energy demand from these facilities [music] affects our ability to meet clean energy goals, have a livable planet, and also just pay our bills. >> The Q&A took place on the sidelines of the Indian [music] AI Impact Summit, a

[02:58] gathering of global leaders in the artificial intelligence field. The summit got off to a bumpy start. Bill Gates pulled out as [music] keynote speaker only hours before he was due to appear. The head of the world's most valuable company, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, also withdrew from appearing due to illness. However, the most awkward moment occurred between rival CEOs Sam Altman and Dario Amodei in what was supposed to be a photo opportunity showing unity and triumph, the pair refused to hold hands, creating the summit's most [music] memorable moment. >> [applause]

[03:44] [applause] [music]

[03:51] [music] >> The summit, along with Altman's comments, have done very little to calm the growing fear and uncertainty surrounding humanity's future alongside AI. >> [music]