A new study investigating the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has shown that using large language models (LLMs) to process thousands of patient records daily across multiple hospitals could lead to substantial resource consumption.
ChatGPT's daily carbon emissions already equal that of 400-800 US households. Healthcare AI systems would likely have an even larger footprint, as they require more powerful models to handle complex medical information and must be run locally for patient privacy.
To reduce the impact of hospitals and medical centres on the environment, five key questions healthcare providers should consider before implementing AI systems, including:
1.A large language model Could existing technology be sufficient?
2.Use the smallest possible model to decrease resource consumption, fine-tuned LLMs can outperform larger applications.
3.Use smaller and specific prompts to reduce the carbon impact of applications.
4.Using hardware that runs on renewable energy is preferable.
5.Maximise LLM efficiency by sharing data where appropriate.