The conversation soon turned the conversation to the hot topic of AI, and a debate on environmental impact, particularly whether Gen AI can ever be considered ‘green’.
It’s true that AI has revolutionised various industries with significant advancements and efficiencies, but the environmental impact cannot be overlooked. Everything from development to training and deployment of AI models requires substantial computational resources. This, in turn, consumes vast amounts of energy, and that energy consumption leads to the increased carbon emissions that contribute to climate change and environmental degradation. A worrying negative feedback loop.
Generative AI models (such as those used in natural language processing, generating new contents and image generation) are especially resource intensive. The training of these types of models involves running complex algorithms on powerful hardware over extended periods. Training of a single large language model, for example, can emit as much carbon as five cars over their entire lifespans, which is why there must be a greater call for balance and the use of green practices.
"Green AI" refers to the movement aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of AI technologies. It encompasses a range of practices and innovations designed to make AI development and deployment more energy-efficient and sustainable. These practices include optimising algorithms to require less computational power, using more energy-efficient hardware, and adopting renewable energy sources for powering data centers.
The Green Software Foundation, where Navveen is a Subject Matter Expert for AI, is at the forefront of promoting green software practices in this space. The AI patterns programme, which is aimed at reducing the footprint of AI, provides a catalog of specific patterns designed to minimise carbon emissions and embed energy efficiency throughout the AI lifecycle process.
To see Navveen talk patterns, the SCI metric, and more, tune into the free techUK webinar between 11am – 12pm on Monday 17th June. You can find more information here, and book your space whilst there.
In the meantime, you can learn more about sustainable AI practices at the Green Software Foundation's catalog: https://patterns.greensoftware.foundation/catalog/ai/.
