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https://theconversation.com/un-report-warns-ai-could-soon-use-3-of-worlds-electricity-and-more-water-than-we-need-to-drink-284442>
"One argument often used to quell concerns about the rising energy and resource
demand of data centres is that artificial intelligence (AI) models will need
less in the future as they improve and become more efficient.
But this seemingly logical thinking is a trap, according to a new United
Nations report that quantifies the environmental costs of AI.
The report estimates that by 2030, AI’s energy use could double to consume 3%
of the world’s electricity, produce emissions to equal the UK and deplete more
water for cooling than the annual drinking water need of the global population.
It also anticipates the use of AI will follow an economic principle known as
the “Jevons paradox”, which predicts that when technological improvements
increase the efficiency of a resource, it leads to a rise, rather than a fall,
in the total consumption of that resource.
The paradox is named after economist William Stanley Jevons who observed this
effect with the use of coal in 19th-century England. Efficiency gains did not
reduce overall consumption. Instead, the lower costs resulted in expanded use
and higher overall demand.
As AI models become cheaper and more attractive, the report expects this to
encourage new uses and higher volumes of use, eroding and possibly erasing any
savings from efficiency advances.
To avoid falling into this trap, it lays out a roadmap for responsible AI use
based on guiding principles of transparency, efficiency by design, equity and
justice, lifecycle responsibility, global cooperation and sustainable use."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
