Comparisons

How AI energy stacks up

Honest both directions. Sometimes asking AI saves energy compared with reading three articles. Sometimes it costs more than a Google search. Compare and decide.

One typical AI response

0.5 Wh

≈ Claude Sonnet, 1500 output tokens, world-average grid.

Equivalents

  • 🔍Google search0.300 Wh each1.7× more
  • 💡LED bulb for 1 minute0.167 Wh each3.0× more
  • 📱Phone charge (full)19.0 Wh each3% of
  • 🔥Microwave for 1 minute16.7 Wh each3% of
  • 📺Second of YouTube HD0.012 Wh each41.7× more
  • ☕Boiling 1 cup of water30.0 Wh each2% of
  • 🍔Cheeseburger (production)16000.0 Wh each0% of

Why these numbers?

Google search: Google blog (2009). LED bulb: simple wattage math. Phone charge: ~5000 mAh × 3.85 V. Microwave: 1000 W × time. YouTube HD: Carbon Trust 2021. Cheeseburger: Poore & Nemecek 2018.

None of these are perfect, but they put AI energy in context with things kids already know.