Most of the people use smart devices and AI-based devices to reduce power consumption and protect the environment. However, in doing so, we are actually generating more carbon in the environment.
We all use Siri, Alexa, Google Voice Assistant, Netflix suggestions on a daily basis. It uses deep learning technology to perform all the functions.
Artificial Intelligence and deep learning have a major downside. These technologies are responsible for high energy consumption and carbon emission.
Most of the people are not really aware of the drawbacks of using these devices. Nowadays, most people use smart devices which work on artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning.
If we keep on using these devices on a large scale, we will damage the earth beyond repair. The companies don’t take the carbon footprints of these technologies into consideration.
Tracking Carbon Footprints of Algorithms:
There are very few technologies and tools which help you to measure the carbon footprints of the deep learning algorithms used by AI.
Recently two students have developed a tool which effectively measures the carbon footprints of the algorithms.
The two students of the University of Copenhagen have developed a software program. It is known as “carbontracker”. This software helps you to measure and predict energy consumption. It is also predicted carbon dioxide emissions of deep learning models.
How Much Energy Deep Learning Training Consumes?
In deep learning, an algorithm or a model learns to do things on its own with the help of a huge database. Every time an error is made, it learns from it. To run this program, you need high-power hardware. This hardware runs 24 X 7 and consumes a huge amount of power.
As the size of the database increases, the algorithm needs to run more and solve more complex issues. It increases the consumptions of power.
GPT-3 is one of the biggest deep learning models. It is an advance model. In just one session, this algorithm consumes a year’s worth energy of nearly 126 households. Along with that, it emits carbon of about nearly 700,000 Km of driving.
In the coming years, there will be many such models. These models will be bigger and more complex. It will consume more power and emits more carbon.
If this keeps on continuing, all our efforts to fight climate change will go to waste.
Green AI: A Perfect Solution
Even though AI cause pollution and consumes more energy, we cannot stop using it. Our future relies on AI. Instead of using AI in a traditional way, we can use Greener AI. It will help you to reduce carbon footprints.
Researchers recommend that changing the location of the training sessions can help reduce carbon emissions. We need to change the location to a place where renewable resources are available.
There are some algorithms which consume less energy. We need to use such algorithms to power all the AI. Companies need to use the tracker to track energy consumption in order to switch to renewable energy sources and to reduce carbon emissions.
Green Artificial Intelligence is our future. We need to use green AI to tackle environmental and climate change problems.