Ethical and environmental concerns

Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Vidhi Chugh

AI strategist and ethicist

Ethical concerns

  • Transparency risk

Transparency risk

Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Ethical concerns

  • Transparency risk
  • Accountability risk -

Transparency risk and accountability

Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Ethical concerns

  • Transparency risk

  • Accountability risk

  • Information hazards

All three ethical concerns: transparency, accountability, info hazards

Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Transparency risk

  • Challenging to understand the output

 

  • Difficult to identify issues
    • Bias
    • Errors
    • Misuse
  • Black box

 

  • Example: reasoning behind predicting disease outcomes

Bias, errors or misuse of LLM generated output

Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Accountability risk

  • Responsibility of LLMs' actions

 

  • Who is responsible?
    • Incorrect and harmful advice
    • Model developer or the company?

 

  • Game without rules
    • No transparency
    • No accountability

 

Accountability of developer or the entity deploying LLMs

1 Freepik
Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Information hazards

Information hazards Disseminating harmful information

  • Harmful content generation
  • Misinformation spread
  • Malicious use
  • Toxicity
Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Information hazards

 

Harmful content generation

  • Harmful, offensive, or inappropriate

 

  • Prompt or biased training data

 

  • Example:
    • Bullying vs. friendly school environment
    • Distressing and harmful

 

Misinformation spread

  • Generate text on any topic

 

  • But, no verification!

 

  • Example:
    • "What's a good diet for losing weight?"
    • Unsubstantiated diet plan
Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Information hazards

 

Malicious use

  • Bad actors exploiting LLMs

 

  • Generate deceptive content

 

  • Example:
    • Fabricated news
    • Manipulating public and causing unrest

 

Toxicity

  • Inappropriate content

 

  • Training or through manipulated prompts

 

  • Example:
    • Insensitive response
    • Stereotype
Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Environmental concerns

 

  • Ecological footprint of LLMs

 

  • Substantial energy resources to train

 

  • Impact through carbon emissions

Cutting down carbon emissions

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Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Cooling requires electricity too!

  • Produce considerable heat that needs cooling

 

  • Imagine thousands of laptops overheating
    • Require complex cooling systems
    • Adds to environmental impact

 

  • Balance the cost and benefits
    • Use renewable energy
    • Energy-efficient tech

 

Image depicting the balance between environmental cost and technological innovation

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Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

Let's practice!

Large Language Models (LLMs) Concepts

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