AI might need more electricity than a small country
Listen to the story (Indian accent)
Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has become quite powerful and popular.
However, there are some concerns about its impact. One concern is the amount of energy AI requires, and that it might make climate change worse.
Alex de Vries from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has pointed out that AI needs a lot of energy. He said that if every search on Google used AI for a year, it would use as much electricity as a small country, like Ireland.
De Vries is also the founder of Digiconomist, a website that researches the negative or unexpected effects of digital trends. He says that as AI becomes more popular, it will need more energy. This is because AI needs a lot of computer power to function properly.
De Vries gave an example about a company called Hugging Face. The company used around 433 megawatt-hours of electricity just to train its AI. That's enough to power 40 homes in the United States for a year.
It's not just the training that uses a lot of energy. When an AI like ChatGPT generates text, it also needs a lot of computing power and energy. De Vries estimates that ChatGPT uses around 564 megawatt-hours of electricity each day.
De Vries suggests that we need to be careful about how and why we use AI.
He thinks that by 2027, the electricity used for AI worldwide could be similar to the annual electricity consumption of countries like the Netherlands, Argentina, and Sweden.
Vocabulary26 words
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- human intelligence in a machine. See more here.
- Quite
- very; really
- Concern
- A feeling of worry or anxiety about something
- Impact
- influence; effect; consequence; to make change
- Amount
- quantity; number; total; sum; size
- Energy
- fuel; electricity; power; oil
- Require
- need
- Climate change
- the fast and dangerous change in weather happening around the world
- Point out
- To show or say something to make sure others notice it
- Search
- To look for something on the internet
- Electricity
- power; current; energy used to operate lights, TVs, etc.
- Founder
- a person who starts a new company
- Research
- the process of studying a subject to learn more about it and gain new understanding
- Negative
- Bad or harmful
- Unexpected
- Not expected or happening by chance; something that happens when you didn't think it would
- Effect
- A change that happens because of something else
- Trend
- something that’s popular or becoming popular
- Function
- work; go; do; perform the required task
- Train AI
- To teach an artificial intelligence system to recognize patterns and make predictions
- Generate
- produce; create; cause; make
- Text
- written or printed material; the written words in a book, magazine, etc., not the pictures;
- Estimate
- guess; approximate; judge; suppose
- Suggest
- propose; to put forward; to recommend; to submit
- Worldwide
- all around the world; everywhere in the world
- Annual
- every year; yearly
- Consumption
- the action of using something; the amount of something that is used or eaten
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Recently, _____ intelligence (AI) has become quite powerful and _____.
However, _____ are some concerns _____ its impact. One concern is the amount of energy AI _____, and that it might make climate change worse.
_____ de Vries from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has pointed out that AI _____ a lot of energy. He said that if every _____ on Google used AI for a year, it would use as much _____ as a small country, like Ireland.
De Vries is also the _____ of Digiconomist, a website that researches the negative or _____ effects of digital trends. He _____ that as AI becomes more popular, it will need more _____. This is because AI needs a lot of computer _____ to function properly.
De Vries gave an _____ about a company called Hugging Face. The company used _____ 433 megawatt-hours of electricity just to train its AI. That's _____ to power 40 homes in the United States for a year.
It's not just the training that _____ a lot of energy. When an AI like ChatGPT _____ text, it also needs a lot of computing power and energy. De Vries _____ that ChatGPT uses around 564 megawatt-hours of electricity _____ day.
De Vries suggests that we need to be _____ about how and why we use AI.
He thinks that by 2027, the electricity _____ for AI worldwide could be similar to the _____ electricity consumption of countries like the Netherlands, _____, and Sweden.
Discussion questions
- What is the main concern about AI mentioned in the text? Do you think it's a valid concern?
- Can you think of other examples where technology uses a lot of energy? How can we make technology more energy-efficient?
- Why do you think AI is being used so much, even though it requires a lot of energy?
- What do you think the future of AI will be like? What kind of AI do you use now?
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