Emma Strubell, a Carnegie Mellon University professor, is identifying more sustainable systems to power AI

In front of a whiteboard from a classroom at Carnegie Mellon University, Strubell explains the Jevons effect, in which the gains from increased efficiency of a technological tool could be negated as use increases. The concept has come into focus as the conversation shifts to efficiency, AI, and the environment. Though they are a proponent for the advancement of AI, Strubell told Business Insider. “GenAI training is a nightmare for energy providers.” Their work as an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Language Technologies Institute asks students and researchers to examine the systems that power AI to discover more efficient and environmentally friendly raw materials that power AI.

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