On March 11th, reports from foreign media indicate that in response to user demands, ChatGPT may consume over 500,000 kWh of electricity per day, roughly equivalent to more than 17,000 times the average daily electricity consumption of a US household.
What does 500,000 kWh mean? Commercial electricity in the US costs around $0.147 per kWh, approximately 1.06 RMB, amounting to a daily electricity bill of 530,000 RMB, totaling 2 billion RMB annually.
Furthermore, as generative AI continues to advance, its energy consumption may increase. Research estimates that by 2027, the entire AI industry could consume 85 to 134 terawatt-hours (1 terawatt-hour = 1 billion kWh) of electricity annually.
NVIDIA CEO Huang Renxun stated in a public speech that the future development of AI is closely tied to photovoltaics and energy storage.
"The future of AI lies in photovoltaics and energy storage! We can't just focus on computing power; if we only consider computers, we would need the energy equivalent of burning 14 Earths," Huang Renxun expressed.
Tesla CEO Musk also shares a similar perspective, suggesting that within two years, AI's primary constraint will shift from "lack of silicon" to "lack of electricity," potentially hindering AI's development.
Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, also remarked, "The future of AI technology depends on energy; we need more photovoltaics and energy storage."
