ChatGPT’s 900 million weekly users handle billions of daily queries, each using 10× Google search energy: Study

Recent studies reveal that ChatGPT's energy consumption is staggering, with each query requiring at least ten times the energy of a standard Google search. As artificial intelligence continues to gain traction, the chatbot is now fielding billions of questions daily, leading to significant electricity usage. A report from BestBrokers estimates that ChatGPT's annual energy consumption reaches an astounding 22,150 gigawatt-hours (GWh), enough to process about 1.17 trillion queries each year. This figure surpasses the electricity used by many entire countries. With around 900 million active users each week, including over 50 million subscribers, ChatGPT generates approximately 3.2 billion queries daily. To support this massive volume, it consumes around 60.7 GWh of electricity each day, equating to the daily power usage of a mid-sized nation. For comparison, the average American household uses roughly 29 kilowatt-hours per day, which means ChatGPT could supply electricity to about 2.11 million homes annually. The daily energy consumption is comparable to that of countries like Puerto Rico or Croatia. The study also highlights the massive energy demands of OpenAI's latest model, GPT-5, which launched in August 2025. This updated version consumes up to eight times the electricity of its predecessor, with each medium-length prompt utilizing between 2 to 45 watts. Designed for complex tasks like advanced scientific problem-solving and intricate coding, GPT-5's computational needs are substantial. In addition to household comparisons, the report notes that ChatGPT's energy could fully charge approximately 4.23 billion iPhones each day for a year, showcasing its immense electricity consumption. BestBrokers also analyzed OpenAI's subscription revenue, estimating that the company could earn around $1.3 billion monthly from paid subscriptions, totaling about $15.8 billion annually. Remarkably, less than three months of subscription revenue could cover the electricity costs associated with handling user queries, underscoring the sustainability of this popular business model despite its increasing energy demands.