Environment Variables Podcast | Ep 74 TWiGS: AI’s Power Problem

In this episode of Environment Variables, host Chris Adams is joined by Asim
Hussain from the Green Software Foundation to dive into the complexities of
AI's growing energy demands and its environmental impact. They discuss
innovative approaches to sustainability, such as using fungi to manage
building waste in data centers and the potential for greener materials and
practices. The conversation also covers software optimizations to reduce AI's
carbon footprint, emphasizing that energy inefficiency cannot be outsourced.
They highlight the importance of integrated sustainable practices in tech
development, particularly in the face of increasing AI power consumption
projections.
Learn more about our people:
* Chris Adams: [LinkedIn]( / mrchrisadams ) | [GitHub](github.com/mrchrisadams) | [Website](www.thegreenwebfoundation.org/)
* Asim Hussain: [LinkedIn]( / jawache ) | [Website](asim.dev/)
Find out more about the GSF:
* [The Green Software Foundation Website](greensoftware.foundation/)
* Sign up to the [Green Software Foundation Newsletter](greensoftware.foundation/)
News:
* [Mushrooms eat building waste at Meta's Gallatin data center - DCD](www.datacenterdynamics.com/en...) [03:35]
* [Building with Mushrooms to Reduce Drywall Waste - or Cooking Up a New Future for Data Center Construction - Meta Sustainability](sustainability. blog/20...) [06:59]
* [Solutions for AI's Energy Inefficiency Can't Be Outsourced - Bloomberg](www.bloomberg.com/opinion/art...) [15:42]
* [BitNet: Scaling 1-bit Transformers for Large Language Models - Microsoft Research](www.microsoft.com/en-us/resea...) [16:34]
* [Balance effects of AI with profits tax and green levy, says IMF | International Monetary Fund (IMF) | The Guardian](www.theguardian.com/business/...) [31:09]
* [Fiscal Policy Can Help Broaden the Gains of AI to Humanity](www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles...) [31:24]
* [[2406.09645] Carbon accounting in the Cloud: a methodology for allocating emissions across data center users](arxiv.org/abs/2406.09645) [37:52]
Events:
* [HotCarbon - Workshop on Sustainable Computer Systems - July 9, 2024](hotcarbon.org/) [48:33]
* [IEEE CLOUD 2024 International Conference on Cloud Computing - July 7 to 13](cloud.conferences.computer.or...) [48:53]
* [Masterclass: Become a Sustainable UX Designer \- July 8]( / 7210939537592623104 ) [49:44]
* [The Software Measurement Landscape - Workshop 2 - July 9](www.meetup.com/gsf-brighton/e...)
Resources:
* [Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) Specification](sci.greensoftware.foundation/) [10:58]
* [Episode 56 - Mushroom recycling with Joanne Rodriguez, Mycocycle - DCD](www.datacenterdynamics.com/en...)
* [Mushrooms eat building waste at Meta's Gallatin data center - DCD](www.datacenterdynamics.com/en...)
* [Options to make software greener without changing the code, and how to remember them](rtl.chrisadams.me.uk/2023/07/...) | Chris Adams [30:17]
If you enjoyed this episode then please either:
* Follow, rate, and review on [Apple Podcasts](podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...)
* Follow and rate on [Spotify](open.spotify.com/episode/0C4N...)
* Watch our videos on The Green Software Foundation [TH-cam Channel!]( / @greensoftwarefoundati... )
Connect with us on
[Twitter]( gsfcommunity?ref_...,
[Github](github.com/Green-Software-Fou...) and
[LinkedIn]( / green-software-foundation !