Nat Pryce6d ago
Ketan Joshi
Spoke to the Guardian about the idea of quitting LLMs for climate: -“I see this all as very much part of the tactic of trying to embed these systems into society and instil dependency in a fashion similar to the growth of single-use plastics in the 1970s.” www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Mar 16 at 7:30amWeb
Show threadKetan Joshi6d ago
^^ article by @[email protected]!
Show threadFrank6d ago

@ketanjoshi.co

Car dependency is a good comparison with where AI is heading:
"a bit like driving to the shops in an SUV instead of riding your bike"

Show threadj@mastodon6d ago

@footils @ketanjoshi.co

I disagree, it's a normalizing analogy, even making it sound desirable, in the same way owning a SUV means status for many.

The best analogy is that LLM is stupid.

Show threadjzakotnik6d ago
@ketanjoshi.co I understood all arguments, but I don't understand why it slows energy transition - renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy, so wouldn't data-centers try to consume this and therefore increase energy transition?
Show threadj@mastodon6d ago

@jzakotnik @ketanjoshi.co

The scale doesn't allow this.
We need to be reducing energy use, not exponentially increase it for no net benefit to mankind or the planet.

Show threadjzakotnik6d ago
@jcast @ketanjoshi.co I believe, there's enough sun and wind for a lot more energy than we need. We only focus on the wrong things..
Show threadj@mastodon6d ago
@jzakotnik @ketanjoshi.co
But but, added value to shareholders?
Show threadjzakotnik6d ago
@jcast @ketanjoshi.co No, implementing a decentralized and democratized energy creation and consumption. We can all try to use less energy (which structurally will keep oligopolies as they are) or we focus on changing the system to something different. I would prefer the latter.
Show threadj@mastodon4d ago
@jzakotnik @ketanjoshi.co
Show threadbayo6d ago
@ketanjoshi.co Which AI use cases justify their energy footprint and which don't? Generating a medical diagnosis and generating a whimsical image of a cat in a tuxedo are not morally equivalent energy expenditures.
Show threadj@mastodon6d ago

@bayo @ketanjoshi.co

Absolutely only niche cases are acceptable in my view. And none using LLM's, but more specialized small models.

Show threadThe gallant knight6d ago
@ketanjoshi.co Do you have a comparison of Co2 and water consumptions in relation to something else? Like a city? I find it difficult to argue with numbers that I cannot compare to something easiert to grasp.
Also, thank you for the article, was looking for something like that!
Show threadj@mastodon6d ago

@burningTyger @ketanjoshi.co

Last time I checked, the scale was already comparable to aviation.

Show threadDan Bocain6d ago
@ketanjoshi.co I’ve compared AI tools to Harbor Freight numerous times. Cheap plastic shit that breaks under pressure and is difficult to repair, cheaper to replace (especially true with how GenAI creates images, videos, websites, code in general)