We all know that cryptocurrencies chew through a lot of electricity, but now we have another piece of tech that is consuming power at an alarming rate: generative AI. A new report from Carnegie Mellon University and the French-American AI startup HuggingFace claims that large-model AI systems are power-hungry. This isn’t surprising, but to see raw figures makes it seem more real. The biggest culprit is image generation. Creating around nine images uses enough juice to fully charge a smartphone (0.012kWh). Given AI’s explosive growth, it looks set to need alot of resources. Regulators are circling AI, trying to figure out best practices— perhaps energy efficiency should be part of that discussion.
–CL
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