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AI is ‘accelerating the climate crisis,’ expert warns

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If you care about the environment, think twice about using AI.

Generative artificial intelligence uses 30 times more energy than a traditional search engine, warns researcher Sasha Luccioni, on a mission to raise awareness about the environmental impact of the hot new technology.

Recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the world of AI by the American magazine Time in 2024, the Canadian computer scientist of Russian origin has sought for several years to quantify the emissions of programs like ChatGPT or Midjourney.

“I find it particularly disappointing that generative AI is used to search the Internet,” laments the researcher, who spoke with AFP on the sidelines of the ALL IN artificial intelligence conference, in Montreal.

The language models on which the programs are based require enormous computing capacities to train on billions of data points, necessitating powerful servers.

Then there’s the energy used to respond to each individual user’s requests.

Instead of simply extracting information, “like a search engine would do to find the capital of a country, for example,” AI programs “generate new information,” making the whole thing “much more energy-intensive,” she explains.

According to the International Energy Agency, the combined AI and the cryptocurrency sectors consumed nearly 460 terawatt hours of electricity in 2022 — two percent of total global production.

– Energy efficiency –

A leading researcher on the impact of AI on climate, Luccioni participated in 2020 in the creation of a tool for developers to quantify the carbon footprint of running a piece of code. “CodeCarbon” has since been downloaded more than a million times.

Head of the climate strategy of startup Hugging Face, a platform for sharing open-access AI models, she is now working on creating a certification system for algorithms.

Similar to the program from the US Environmental Protection Agency that awards scores based on the energy consumption of electronic devices and appliances, it would make it possible to know an AI product’s energy consumption in order to encourage users and developers to “make better decisions.”

“We don’t take into account water or rare materials,” she acknowledges, “but at least we know that for a specific task, we can measure energy efficiency and say that this model has an A+, and that model has a D,” she says.

– Transparency –

In order to develop her tool, Luccioni is experimenting with it on generative AI models that are accessible to everyone, or open source, but she would also like to do it on commercial models from Google or ChatGPT-creator OpenAI, which have been reluctant to agree.

Although Microsoft and Google have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by the end of the decade, the US tech giants saw their greenhouse gas emissions soar in 2023 because of AI: up 48 percent for Google compared to 2019 and 29 percent for Microsoft compared to 2020.

“We are accelerating the climate crisis,” says Luccioni, calling for more transparency from tech companies.

The solution, she says, could come from governments that, for the moment, are “flying blindly,” without knowing what is “in the data sets or how the algorithms are trained.”

“Once we have transparency, we can start legislating.”

– ‘Energy sobriety’ –

It is also necessary to “explain to people what generative AI can and cannot do, and at what cost,” according to Luccioni.

In her latest study, the researcher demonstrated that producing a high-definition image using artificial intelligence consumes as much energy as fully recharging the battery of your cell phone.

At a time when more and more companies want to integrate the technology further into our lives — with conversational bots and connected devices, or in online searches — Luccioni advocates “energy sobriety.”

The idea here is not to oppose AI, she emphasizes, but rather to choose the right tools — and use them judiciously.

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UN General Assembly Adopts Resolution Backing ICJ’s Ruling on Israel’s Occupation of Palestinian Territories

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The United Nations General Assembly, during its 10th Emergency Special Session, adopted a landmark resolution endorsing the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion, which declared Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories as illegal under international law. The resolution, initiated by Palestine, garnered the co-sponsorship of 53 countries, including Bangladesh, as per a statement received today.

The resolution was passed on Wednesday through a vote, with 124 countries in favor, 14 against, and 43 abstaining. Bangladesh, as a co-sponsor, voted in favor of the resolution.

During the debate at the General Assembly, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, delivered the nation’s statement. Muhith praised the ICJ’s advisory opinion, describing it as historic, and urged all member states to comply with the ruling. He also expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence and high civilian casualties in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire, referencing UN Security Council resolution 2728.

Ambassador Muhith emphasized that a two-state solution, based on the pre-1967 borders of Palestine, is the only viable path to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East. He commended the roles played by the ICJ and the International Criminal Court in holding Israel accountable for illegal occupation and atrocity crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The permanent representative also acknowledged the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who have addressed the severe humanitarian and human rights crisis unfolding in Gaza.

The resolution, in line with the ICJ’s recent verdict, calls on Israel to cease its illegal presence in Palestine, marking the first step toward ending its military campaign in Gaza. It further advocates for the creation of an international mechanism to provide reparations for damages, losses, or injuries resulting from Israel’s internationally wrongful actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Additionally, the resolution requests the UN Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of these directives. It also emphasizes the need for accountability regarding atrocity crimes committed by Israel, particularly in light of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians during conflict.

The General Assembly has also resolved to convene an international conference within the next year, aimed at finding a pathway to establishing an independent Palestinian state. This resolution is widely seen as a significant step toward resolving the Middle East crisis through the implementation of the two-state solution.

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Govt to Import 4 Lakh Tonnes of Wheat, 2 Lakh Tonnes of Rice to Strengthen Food Security

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The government has decided to import 4 lakh tonnes of wheat and 2 lakh tonnes of rice in a proactive move to secure the nation’s food supply. The decision was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs during a meeting held on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, chaired by Finance and Commerce Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.

This import initiative will take place within 15 days of tender submissions through government-to-government (G2G) arrangements, aimed at swiftly addressing potential food shortages.

While the current food grain stock is stable, Dr Salehuddin emphasized that the import decision is a preventive measure. “Although immediate imports aren’t necessary at this moment, we aim to eliminate any risk of food shortages and assure the public that both food grains and fertilisers will remain available,” he stated.

Regarding pricing, a provisional rate for the food grains has been established, but final prices will be confirmed prior to import execution.

The committee also approved reducing the timeline for international tenders for rice and wheat imports from 42 days to 15 days, starting from the tender advertisement date. This adjustment is expected to expedite the import process and maintain a steady supply chain.

Moreover, the government has greenlit the G2G procurement of rice and shortened procurement procedures as per Rule 83 of the Public Procurement Rules 2008. Both international open tenders and G2G agreements will be used to uphold food security and ensure effective distribution.

For the fiscal year 2024-25, the government aims to collect 3.5 lakh tonnes of rice from international sources and 19.23 lakh tonnes from domestic producers. The wheat target stands at 7 lakh tonnes from international markets and 10,000 tonnes locally.

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PM Modi not expected to meet Bangladesh’s Yunus on UN General Assembly sidelines

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not expected to meet Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly next week, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, the Bangladesh side made a formal request for a meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly, which both leaders are set to attend. Dhaka was keen on a meeting in the hope it would help clear the air over irritants that have emerged in bilateral ties since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, the people said on condition of anonymity.

The people said such a meeting is not part of the Indian side’s agenda. Besides, Modi will have a packed schedule for his three-day visit to the US, as he is set to attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21 and address the Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly on September 23.

“The PM is expected to have some bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York but a meeting with the head of Bangladesh’s interim government isn’t on the schedule,” one of the people cited above said.

Besides scheduling issues, comments by Yunus on India-Bangladesh relations in a recent interview and near-daily remarks by members of the interim government in Dhaka perceived as critical of India have not gone down well in New Delhi.

In the interview, Yunus criticised former premier Sheikh Hasina for commenting on developments in Bangladesh while in exile in India. He suggested Bangladesh could seek her extradition and said India should move beyond the “narrative” that every political party other than Hasina’s Awami League is “Islamist”.

Other members of the interim government, including de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain, have repeatedly raked up the possibility of seeking the extradition of Hasina, who fled to India after stepping down on August 5. Hossain also acknowledged any such move would create an “embarrassing situation for the Indian government”.

India’s leadership has said Hasina was granted approval to come to the country at short notice. Hasina has been largely incommunicado while in India, where she is at an undisclosed safe location. The external affairs ministry has refused to be drawn out on any possible Bangladeshi request for her extradition, describing it as a hypothetical matter.

The people cited above said a meeting between Modi and former US president Donald Trump too was not part of the Indian side’s agenda though an encounter between the two leaders in New York could not be ruled out.

Trump said at a campaign event in Flint, Michigan, on Tuesday that he will meet Modi next week but gave no details on where the meeting would be held. Trump also said India was a “very big abuser” of the US-India trade relationship. Some other world leaders who visited the US in recent months for meetings with President Joe Biden and other multilateral events have met Trump as well.

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