Google releases AI inference environmental measurement methodology

Google releases a comprehensive methodology to measure energy, water, and carbon emissions for its AI models.

• Main announcement: Google released a comprehensive methodology for measuring the energy, water, and carbon emissions of Google’s AI models and published a linked technical report with methodology details. The company reports that over a 12-month period the median energy and carbon footprint per Gemini Apps text prompt fell by 33x and 44x, respectively.
• Background and data points: Google states the energy per median prompt is equivalent to watching television for less than nine seconds, and notes that in 2024 it reduced data center energy emissions by 12% while electricity consumption grew by 27% year-over-year due to business expansion. The post links to a Google blog explanation and a full technical PDF report.