The vast energy consumption of AI

[editor]

Continuing the feeling of the world diving headlong into AI without thinking things through is the growing concern about the absolutely vast energy requirements of AI.

It seems it's nigh on impossible to currently accurately calculate how much energy computers running AI (for training or creating) but one estimate is that it could be equivalent to the energy demands of Sweden or Germany.

A recent report by the International Energy Agency offered similar estimates, suggesting that electricity usage by data centers will increase significantly in the near future thanks to the demands of AI and cryptocurrency.

The agency says current data center energy usage stands at around 460 terawatt hours in 2022 and could increase to between 620 and 1,050 TWh in 2026 — equivalent to the energy demands of Sweden or Germany, respectively.

How much electricity does AI consume?

How many watts and joules does it actually take to generate a single Balenciaga pope?

www.theverge.com

One of the areas with the fastest-growing demand for energy is the form of machine learning called generative AI, which requires a lot of energy for training and a lot of energy for producing answers to queries.

Training a large language model like OpenAI’s GPT-3, for example, uses nearly 1,300 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity, the annual consumption of about 130 US homes.

According to the IEA, a single Google search takes 0.3 watt-hours of electricity, while a ChatGPT request takes 2.9 watt-hours. (An incandescent light bulb draws an average of 60 watt-hours of juice.) If ChatGPT were integrated into the 9 billion searches done each day, the IEA says, the electricity demand would increase by 10 terawatt-hours a year — the amount consumed by about 1.5 million European Union residents.

AI already uses as much energy as a small country. It’s only the beginning.

The energy needed to support data storage is expected to double by 2026. You can do something to stop it.

www.vox.com

 

[bcuster]

Human usage of energy may drop if AI is functioning in our places

 

[8ball]

When a writer cannot distinguish between power and energy in the examples they give, it’s probably worth taking their figures with a pinch of salt.

I’d still like to change my energy provider to whoever OpenAI are using, though.

 

[bcuster]

AI can help find and maximize energy

Top 10: Uses of AI in Energy

Including forecasting, exploration opportunities and smart grids, here’s 10 ways AI is making waves across the energy industry

energydigital.com

 

[8ball]

AI can help find and maximize energy

Top 10: Uses of AI in Energy

Including forecasting, exploration opportunities and smart grids, here’s 10 ways AI is making waves across the energy industry

energydigital.com

It can suggest places to drill for oil?

Hallelujah - we are saved!

 

[8ball]

Human usage of energy may drop if AI is functioning in our places

The Skynet solution.

 

[bcuster]

It can suggest places to drill for oil?

Hallelujah - we are saved!

Among many other energy maximization uses

 

[8ball]

Among many other energy maximization uses

I’m not sure that marketing puff piece was even written by a human.

 

[WouldBe]

Among many other energy maximization uses

From the previous article if we turned AI off we wouldn't need AI to find ways of saving power.

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

AI can help find and maximize energy

Top 10: Uses of AI in Energy

Including forecasting, exploration opportunities and smart grids, here’s 10 ways AI is making waves across the energy industry

energydigital.com

Better oil and gas exploration - just what we need.

 

[bcuster]

From the previous article if we turned AI off we wouldn't need AI to find ways of saving power.

The human species enjoying a life of energy saving leisure will still have certain energy needs

 

[tommers]

Human usage of energy may drop if AI is functioning in our places

They could use our bodies like batteries. Like they do in the matrix.