Jiang, P., Sonne, C., Li, W., You, F. and You, S. (2024) Preventing the immense increase in the life-cycle energy and carbon footprints of LLM-powered intelligent chatbots. Engineering, (doi: 10.1016/j.eng.2024.04.002) (In Press)
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Abstract
Intelligent chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) have recently been sweeping the world, with potential for a wide variety of industrial applications. Global frontier technology companies are feverishly participating in LLM-powered chatbot design and development, providing several alternatives beyond the famous ChatGPT. However, training, fine-tuning, and updating such intelligent chatbots consume substantial amounts of electricity, resulting in significant carbon emissions. The research and development of all intelligent LLMs and software, hardware manufacturing (e.g., graphics processing units and supercomputers), related data/operations management, and material recycling supporting chatbot services are associated with carbon emissions to varying extents. Attention should therefore be paid to the entire life-cycle energy and carbon footprints of LLM-powered intelligent chatbots in both the present and future in order to mitigate their climate change impact. In this work, we clarify and highlight the energy consumption and carbon emission implications of eight main phases throughout the life cycle of the development of such intelligent chatbots. Based on a life-cycle and interaction analysis of these phases, we propose a system-level solution with three strategic pathways to optimize the management of this industry and mitigate the related footprints. While anticipating the enormous potential of this advanced technology and its products, we make an appeal for a rethinking of the mitigation pathways and strategies of the life-cycle energy usage and carbon emissions of the LLM-powered intelligent chatbot industry and a reshaping of their energy and environmental implications at this early stage of development.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Peng Jiang was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 72061127004 and 72104164) and the System Science and Enterprise Development Research Center (Grant No. Xq22B04). Siming You would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Programme Grant (EP/V030515/1). Wangliang Li would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Science and Technology Support Project of Guizhou Province ([2019]2839). |
| Keywords: | LLMs, intelligent chatbots, carbon emissions, energy and environmental footprints, life-cycle assessment, global cooperation. |
| Status: | In Press |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | You, Dr Siming |
| Creator Roles: | |
| Authors: | Jiang, P., Sonne, C., Li, W., You, F., and You, S. |
| College/School: | College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy |
| Journal Name: | Engineering |
| Publisher: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 2095-8099 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2096-0026 |
| Published Online: | 17 April 2024 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2023 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Engineering 2024 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons License |
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