How much energy does AI use?

This image was created with Adobe Firefly, which was trained only on licensed data — and which pays artists for their training images.

Researchers from TRG Datacenters released a report today on the energy use of various AI activities, and how they compare with other things that people do, and, well, watching videos is the worst.

One hour of streaming Netflix or YouTube uses 0.12 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 42 grams of CO2. I’m going to convert the kilowatt-hours to watt-hours for easier comparison by multiplying by 1,000, which puts video streaming at 120 watt-hours.

Creating a six-to-ten-second video clip using an AI video generator uses 50 watt-hours of electricity and releases 18 grams of CO2.

An hour-long Zoom call uses 49 watt-hours of electricity and releases 17 grams of CO2.

Sending a short email with no attachment uses 13 watt-hours of electricity and releases 4.7 grams of CO2.

Creating one AI image uses 3 watt-hours of electricity and releases 1 gram of CO2.

Asking an AI chatbot one question using voice uses one-half of a watt-hour of electricity and releases 0.2 grams of CO2.

A single Google search uses a third of a watt-hour of electricity and releases 0.1 gram of CO2.

Asking an AI chatbot one question using text uses a third of a watt-hour of electricity and releases 0.1 gram of CO2 — same as a single Google search.

Unless you’re talking to Gemini, which is more efficient. A single text prompt uses 0.12 watt-hours of electricity and releases 0.04 grams of CO2 .

Stepping away from your screens for a snack, using a microwave for five minutes takes 120 watt-hours of electricity, according to Silicon Valley Power.

Maybe you want to leave the house. If you have a gas-powered car, a one-mile drive releases 400 grams of CO2, according to the EPA. Switching to a hybrid will result in only 55% as much CO2 emission, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, and switching to electric has a 20% lower carbon emission rate than a gas-powered car.

In other good news this year — and it’s nice to see some positive stuff once in a while — U.S. solar power production grew by 36% since late 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration. That extra power offset 80% of the increase in total U.S. energy demand, which was 2.1%.

Globally, the picture is even better. Despite some… political turmoil… during the first three months of 2025, solar power generation grew by 31%, the largest nine-month increase in history. Wind and nuclear also grew, while fossil-powered electricity generation actually decreased slightly.

In fact, clean power production grew faster than demand this year, according to research from Ember, a global energy think tank.

Does that mean that it’s okay that AI data centers are consuming as much power as they are? Well, we could do better. And there’s also the impact on the water supply and other issues.

But the potential benefits of AI are pretty dramatic, even if AI only leads to moderate productivity improvements.

Bottom line? If you want to offset your AI use — or your video watching — cut back on the drives to the supermarket, consolidate your Amazon deliveries into fewer trips, or just step away from technology and go outside for a walk.

The previous industrial revolution doubled our lifespan, and it looks like AI is on track to do something similar as it accelerates stem cell research, drug discovery, and cancer treatments. And a daily walking habit can add up to eleven years to your life, which could help you live long enough to see these benefits.

Hypergrid Business editor and publisher Maria Korolov is a science fiction novelist. During the day, Maria Korolov is an award-winning freelance technology journalist who covers artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise virtual reality. See her Amazon author page here and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, and check out her latest videos on the Maria Korolov YouTube channel. Email her at [email protected]. Her first virtual world novella, Krim Times, made the Amazon best-seller list in its category. Her second novella, The Lost King of Krim, is out now. She is also the publisher of MetaStellar, a new online magazine of speculative fiction.