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Sam Altman Says ChatGPT Water Use Claims Are 'Completely Untrue' — but Admits AI Energy Use Is a Concern

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman denied ChatGPT water use claims, highlighted AI's real energy demand, and urged quick adoption of nuclear and renewable energy, citing rising computing needs.

  • On Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI Inc., defended AI's resource use at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, calling concerns about data centers' water use `fake`.
  • Amid verification gaps, local opposition led to San Marcos, Texas, voting down a $1.5 billion data center project after months of resistance.
  • Technically, AI inference is much less power-intensive than AI training, and `It takes like 20 years of life`, Altman said, comparing training a human to model training.
  • Pressing for action, Altman urged the energy sector to move towards nuclear or wind and solar very quickly as governments speed approvals amid environmentalists' net-zero concerns.
  • A May report by the International Monetary Fund found that data-center electricity use in 2023 already matched countries like Germany or France, soon after the launch of ChatGPT, highlighting long-term resource pressures.
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t3nMagazin broke the news in on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
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