Fact check: Is Sam Altman right that almonds use more water than ChatGPT queries?

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed on the Sources Podcast with Alex Heath that concerns over AI's water use don't hold up to scrutiny, stating that 38,000 ChatGPT queries use as much water as producing almonds, as California Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs requiring data centers to disclose water usage.

As Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs whether to require data centers to disclose how much water they use, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says concerns over AI’s water use don’t hold “up to any scrutiny.” On the Sources Podcast with Alex Heath released Tuesday, Altman said that it takes 38,000 ChatGPT queries to use as much water as producing … The post Fact check: Is Sam Altman right that almonds use more water than ChatGPT queries? https://localnewsmatters.org/2026/09/08/data-center-water-use-california/ appeared first on Local News Matters https://localnewsmatters.org .