OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s claim that about 38,000 ChatGPT queries use as much water as growing one California almond is mostly false, according to a September 14, 2026 PolitiFact fact-check published by WRAL.
Altman’s figure paired a low, company-sourced estimate of per-query water use with a high almond estimate that counted rainwater and “grey water,” not only irrigation. Fresh-water estimates for one California almond are closer to about 6 liters (roughly 1.5 gallons). Independent estimates suggest it takes roughly 1,000 to 10,000 ordinary conversational AI prompts to match that amount—not 38,000.
Source: WRAL / PolitiFact — Almonds or data centers: which requires more water? (Sept. 14, 2026)