How do we reduce AI's toll on the environment?

Several experts on LinkedIn shared their views on how we should clean up AI. Julia Meshcheryakova, a senior machine learning engineer at software firm DataArt, wrote that datacentres should be maintained in the most energy-efficient way from a physical perspective, noting that low-energy devices should be prioritised over traditional ones. "Producing efficient algorithms literally means being an eco-conscious developer," she said. Meanwhile, Paul Edge QCB, head of legal and compliance at the Isle of Man's Department of Health, outlined in his post several ways AI could be made greener. "Ensuring AI algorithms and hardware are optimised for energy efficiency can significantly reduce the environmental impact," he noted. "This includes developing algorithms that require less computational power, optimising hardware for reduced energy consumption, and exploring low-power alternatives like edge computing."The datacentres that house the servers which underpin AI should also be given some attention, Edge said. "Building energy-efficient datacentres or utilising renewable energy sources for powering these facilities can reduce the carbon footprint of AI technologies," he explained. "Implementing cooling techniques like liquid cooling and using energy-efficient server hardware can also contribute to sustainability."How do you think we can make AI greener? Drop your thoughts into the comments below.These are strange times. People around the world have been queuing up in cities around the world to get the iris of their eye scanned by a bowling ball-sized silver orb over the last week. Why on Earth are they doing that, I hear you ask. The answer: to get a new form of crypto. Worldcoin, as the cryptocurrency is known, has quickly become the hottest digital currency on the street following its launch in more than 20 countries on July 24. It's partly the brainchild of Sam Altman, the tech mogul who ran the world's most famous startup accelerator (Y-Combinator) before becoming CEO of OpenAI. He's arguably one of the biggest tech celebrities in the world right now. Altman claims that Worldcoin is a tool for a near-future in which OpenAI's AI surpasses human intelligence, rendering most jobs redundant and meaning global society has to be restructured around a universal basic income model. "If successful, we believe Worldcoin could drastically increase economic opportunity, scale a reliable solution for distinguishing humans from AI online while preserving privacy, enable global democratic processes, and eventually show a potential path to AI-funded UBI (universal basic income)," the company said in a statement.He argues the eyeball-scanning is necessary because one day users will need to prove they're human as opposed to being a robot. But some fear the iris scans could be used for surveillance or be sold to third parties. 

How do we reduce AI's toll on the environment? Welcome to the 12th issue of the Tech Wrap-Up Europe newsletter. Every fortnight, we'll be sharing interesting stories and expert insights from LinkedIn members.  In this issue, Sam Shead looks at the environmental toll of artificial intelligence, Sam Altman's Worldcoin and Google's new AI course. AI promises to revolutionise our lives, but there's an issue with it that many of us may not have considered yet – the technology requires huge amounts of water and electricity to work, and its appetite will only get bigger as the models become more powerful.  AI is powered by computer processors, or chips, which typically sit on racks of servers in huge datacentres. These chips are powered by electricity and they can get very hot very quickly if they're not cooled. That's where the water comes in. Huge quantities of water are used to help keep datacentres at the right temperature.   It's difficult to quantify exactly how much water and energy AI is consuming, as the companies behind them don't always want to disclose the details. But researchers are making some educated guesses.  OpenAI (backed by LinkedIn-parent Microsoft) may have used a whopping 3.5m litres of water through datacentre usage to train GPT-3, according to one academic study. But the figure could be even higher, the study said, if the AI was trained on Microsoft's less efficient datacentres in Asia.  Before GPT-4 was integrated into ChatGPT, scientists believe that the generative AI chatbot would use up approximately 500ml of water – a standard-sized water bottle – every 20 questions and corresponding answers. Following the integration with GPT-4, the chatbot is likely to be even thirstier.  A different paper by researchers from the likes of Google and Berkeley estimated that training GPT-3 consumed 1,287 MWh and resulted in emissions of more than 550 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. That's comparable to flying between New York and San Francisco on a return journey 550 times. While AI is clearly taking its toll on the environment, it's also helping us understand our weather and climate, as well as their effects. It's also being used to optimise existing computer infrastructure around the world.   Sasha Luccioni, PhD, a researcher in ethical and sustainable AI at tech firm Hugging Face, told The Guardian that there should be more discussion around the environmental impact of AI.  "Fundamentally speaking, if you do want to save the planet with AI, you have to consider also the environmental footprint [of AI first]," she said. "It doesn't make sense to burn a forest and then use AI to track deforestation."

OpenAI CEO and Worldcoin co-founder Sam Altman. [size=16]Once you've had your eye scanned, you'll receive 25 Worldcoin tokens, which are worth around €2.10 each, or €50 in total. At some point, you'll also be able to buy and sell these tokens.  But several regulators have got their eye on it. France's watchdog has questioned the legality of Worldcoin's biometric data collection practices, while a German watchdog told Reuters that it has been investigating the firm since last November. The Information Commissioner's Office in the UK said on July 25 that it will be "making enquiries" into the company. Globally, it was suspended in Kenya as thousands queued up to get it, with officials saying they planned to investigate whether Worldcoin is in compliance with the country’s Data Protection Act. Do you plan to scan your eye for Worldcoin tokens? Let us know in the comments below.  You could be in luck if you want to learn more about AI as there's a growing number of free resources hitting the internet.  Google launched some basic AI courses in the UK last week, and other tech giants are also trying to get citizens up to speed with the technologies they're investing billions into.  Pointing to a rise in AI search trends, Google said Brits are more interested in and keen to grasp AI than ever before.  The Californian tech giant claims its new educational resources will help individuals, businesses and organisations gain skills in the emerging technology that can help them get on in their career. Matt Brittin, Google's boss in Europe, wrote on LinkedIn that AI can create over £400bn (€464bn) in economic value for the economy by 2030.  "We've always said that to have a healthy economy, everyone must have the opportunity to participate," he stated.  UK tech minister Michelle Donelan MP wrote on LinkedIn that AI expertise is key for innovation.  "Google's ten-module course will empower employees, entrepreneurs, and business owners with the technical know-how they need to excel in the AI-driven markets of the future," she said.  Elsewhere, LinkedIn parent Microsoft launched its "AI Skills initiative" in June, which consists of various training courses and resources. The initiative includes free coursework developed with LinkedIn and the first professional certificate on generative AI. Meanwhile, The Alan Turing Institute, the UK's national institute for data science and AI, just launched its "Operationalising Ethics in AI" course, which is free to access. See what LinkedIn Top Voice Maria Luciana Axente has to say about it here.  Many of today's school leavers are committing to AI at an early age, showing that they believe it's the future. Clare Marchant, the chief executive of UCAS, said the rise of AI is inspiring a growing number of students to study computing after they finish school. Have you discovered any good free AI courses? If so, drop them into the comments below.  [/size][list=margin-top:1em;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:1.5em;display:block;padding:0px][*]TSMC to build chip foundry in Germany. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world's largest contract chipmaker, has confirmed it plans to build a €10bn (£8.6bn) plant in Germany, the country leading Europe's chip race. [*]Zoom orders staff back to the office. You know the "return to office" trend is gaining momentum when Zoom – the very company that has enabled many of us to work from home since the pandemic – starts asking staff to come in two days a week. [*]Growing appetite for AI prompt writers. Demand for people who can write clever prompts that get the most out of chatbots like Google's Bard and OpenAI's ChatGPT is rising as businesses look to try and take advantage of generative AI. [*]WeWork's woes. Onetime co-working darling WeWork has warned there is "substantial doubt" its business will be viable in the long term, and it says the next 12 months will be key to its future. [*]Hopin acquired by RingCentral. The London-based virtual events startup that soared in the Covid pandemic, last valued at $7.8bn (£6.1bn), has sold its flagship business to US cloud communications firm RingCentral for an undisclosed fee. [/list] [size] Harry Law – Harry is an ethics and policy researcher at Google DeepMind. He often posts about AI history, ethics, and governance. Elaine Parr – Elaine is a consumer industries leader at IBM in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She's a gender parity champion who posts about retail and consumer goods. Mark Scott – Mark is a technology journalist who currently writes for POLITICO Europe. He tends to share stories about social media and the intersection of tech and politics. Get Hired UK – A fortnightly update dedicated to advice and insights on landing your next role and progressing in your career. Get Hired Europe – A newsletter focused on helping you land your next job. A bi-weekly digest of news, views and insights from the world of tech written by Sam Shead.[/size]

Join the conversation