The Download: Google's AI energy expenditure, and handing over DNA data to the police

Google has just released a report detailing how much energy its Gemini apps use for each query. In total, the median prompt--one that falls in the middle of the range of energy demand--consumes 0.24 watt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of running a standard microwave for about one second. The company also provided average estimates for the water consumption (five drops per query) and carbon emissions associated with a text prompt to Gemini. It's the most transparent estimate yet from a Big Tech company with a popular AI product, and the report includes detailed information about how the company calculated its final estimate. Earlier this year, MIT Technology Review published a comprehensive series on AI and energy, at which time none of the major AI companies would reveal their per-prompt energy usage.