Massive computers chewing up gigawatts of energy to support AI
By Petra Stock / 22 June 2023
What are the climate costs and benefits of machine learning?
Training for a large language model like ChatGPT-3 creates around 500 tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution due to massive computers chewing up gigawatt hours of energy.
Experts say even using generative artificial intelligence to respond to user prompts requires orders of magnitude more power than a Google search.
So while machine learning can be used for tasks like climate modelling and integrating higher shares of renewable electricity into the grid, researchers say the use of the technology comes with a climate cost.
The issue raises questions about the appropriate uses for the technology and the potential for smaller, more efficient models capable of delivering the same performance using less power.
Professor Simon Lucey, Director of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning at the University of Adelaide, describes the environmental impact of machine learning as a “double-sided coin”.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/ai/massive-computers-chewing-up-gigawatts-of-energy-to-support-ai/
