Listen to this article · 5:54 min Learn more Share full article What makes those data centers so power-hungry? It’s the rise of so-called generative artificial intelligence. Generative A.I. can do a lot — not only analyze data and make predictions, but also write poetry and computer code, summarize books and answer questions, often with human-level proficiency. And that kind of computing needs a lot of energy. A query to ChatGPT requires nearly 10 times as much electricity as a regular Google search, according to a recent estimate. Researchers had been working on generative A.I. for years, but it really burst onto the scene in November 2022 when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, the conversational chatbot that became a sensation. Microsoft has invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI and is racing to include A.I. features in its products. So are Amazon, Google and Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. How much will electricity demand increase? There are higher estimates, but experts generally forecast that energy consumption by data centers worldwide will at least double over the next few years. Goldman Sachs has estimated that electricity use by data centers will increase 160 percent by 2030. A recent forecast by the International Energy Agency projected that demand would more than double by 2026. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access.