Real AI: Green Catch-22, AI Webinar, and The Creator (Ugh)

Real AI is a 100% human-created weekly roundup of all things AI in real estate and emerging AI innovations in other sectors likely to impact real estate.

AI and the Green Catch-22

Among the biggest risks that AI faces on its trajectory to impact nearly every aspect of our daily lives before we know it is the Green Catch-22.

The paradox: On the positive side, AI has the potential to tackle the environmental impact of humans, from dramatically improving energy efficiency and reducing waste to increasing farming yields and reversing the effects of climate change. Startups are beginning to proliferate, as this Google Blog provides a few examples.

On the negative side is the impact of AI on Mother Earth itself. Training a single AI system can emit over 250,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Experts estimate that using AI tech across all sectors already produces carbon emissions comparable to the entire aviation industry.

Just as concerning is AI water consumption. Google's global data centers guzzled 15 billion gallons of water in 2022. Microsoft's global water consumption jumped 34% from 2021 to 2022 to almost 1.7 billion gallons. That's the equivalent of 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Researchers attribute the spike to its AI research.

It doesn't sound like a lot, but a system like ChatGPT consumes about 500 milliliters of water for every dozen or so prompts. For some, the cost is already hitting home. ChatGPT has data centers in Iowa. It should not be surprising that the Des Moines Water Works saw a nearly 80% increase in residential rates since 2007, reaching $5.19 per 1,000 gallons for city residents.

Just like the job paradox of AI – supporters argue AI will create more and better jobs than it eliminates – the Green Catch-22 for AI is real.

So, it's not just Singularity we have to worry about when it comes to the advancement of AI.

Webinar: Unveiling the Future: AI Revolution for MLSs and their users – Sept 19

RE Technology is hosting a webinar with Liz Sturrock, Chief of MLS Innovation at Miami Realtors. I recently met Liz at the Florida Realtors convention after I presented to the Emerging Technology Committee. This webinar should be a blast as Liz will talk about some of the real stuff in the MLS landscape today, not just what's coming (which is also exciting but not as actionable).

For MLS staff and execs, this is a terrific opportunity to learn and ask questions about the practical applications of AI by MLS and how to best serve – and educate – members.

A no-cost webinar, the registration link is here.

Headlines: AI Take 5

These Prisoners Are Training AI | Wired - 9/11/23
Finland's AI firm Metroc is paying prisoners $1.67 per hour to train its large language model.

Chuck Schumer says he asked Musk, Gates and others about whether to regulate AI: ‘Every single person raised their hands' | Fortune - 9/13/23
And so it begins, as legislatures play catch-up to try and regulate advanced tech once again. Just think about how successful they have been with social media.

Amazon launches generative AI to help sellers write product descriptions | About Amazon - 9/13/23
Like the real estate property descriptions that Restb.ai creates using computer vision, Amazon offers ChatGPT-like help for seller product descriptions.

TurboTax-maker Intuit offers an AI agent that provides financial tips | Ars Technica - 9/6/23
Using a large language model platform called GenOS, TurboTax users can now access a new AI assistant. It's expected to roll out to other Intuit properties, including Credit Karma, Quickbooks, and Mailchimp.

Here's where the top startup investors are placing their bets | Albany Inno - 9/7/23
Perhaps not surprisingly, artificial intelligence and machine learning investments lead the way in total deal value, with top investors pumping $646 million into the sector last quarter. E-commerce was second on the list in terms of deal value.

Bonus: The Creator | YouTube trailer - Released 9/29/23
Hollywood's dystopian view of what happens when Singularity is achieved.

Quote of the Week

To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.