Welcome back!

Today we have new insights regarding the environmental impact of AI. We’ll also dive into new updates announced by Adobe and Google.

Let’s get right into it.

In today’s Daily Update:

• 🗞️ AI could soon require as much electricity as an entire country

• 🤖 Adobe Firefly can now generate more realistic images

• 📸 Google launches healthcare-specific generative AI

• 🚨 AI Roundup: Three quick hits

Read time: 2.5 minutes

🗞️ AI could soon require as much electricity as an entire country

A peer-reviewed analysis published yesterday estimates that AI servers could use between 85 to 134 terawatt hours (Twh) annually. That’s similar to the amount of electricity used by Argentina, the Netherlands and Sweden each year.

What you need to know:

• AI technology relies on thousands of specialized computer chips that consume immense amounts of electricity.

• The electricity needed to run AI could boost the world’s carbon emissions.

• Alex de Vries, the data scientist behind the analysis, estimated electricity consumption using projected sales of Nvidia A100 servers. Nvidia’s hardware is estimated to be used by 95% of the AI market.

• Nvidia said in a statement that its specialized chips are more sustainable than other options, but experts are still urging companies to consider their electricity consumption as they design new AI hardware and software.

Why it matters: It’s impossible to quantify AI’s energy use exactly, because tech companies disclose few details about what they need to run AI software. We still know very little about the long-term environmental impacts of AI, but these numbers serve as a reminder that companies need to be mindful about their energy consumption as they develop the next generation of AI models.

Crucial quote: “We don’t have to completely blow this out of proportion,” de Vries said. “But at the same time, the numbers that I write down — they are not small.”

🤖 Adobe Firefly can now generate more realistic images

Yesterday Adobe announced that it updated the models that power Firefly, its generative AI image creation service. The Firefly Image 2 Model will most notably be better at rendering humans, including facial features, skin, body and hands.

Here’s how to use the updated model:

Step 1: Click here to get Firefly for free. Once you’re logged in, scroll down to try the Firefly Image 2 Model in beta.

Step 2: Describe the image you want to generate in a text prompt. I used “an Italian chef cooking Fettucine Alfredo in a dark kitchen, artistic, dark lighting, close up shot” to create the example below.

Step 3: Refine your prompt until you get the perfect result. I recommend utilizing Firefly’s recommended prompt suggestions.

50-word review: The Firefly Image 2 Model is easily the best free text-to-image model available today. As you get more comfortable with the platform, you’ll learn how to utilize a wide array of customization options. Another nice touch is that all outputs are subtly labeled as AI-generated content.

📸 Google launches healthcare-specific generative AI

Google just added new capabilities to its Vertex AI search platform, which can be combined with its medical LLM Med-PaLM 2.

The details:

• Vertex AI is a search engine that allows organizations to build their own generative AI-enabled search engines for customers. Med-PaLM 2 is an AI model that utilizes Google’s LLMs to answer medical questions.

• The Vertex AI search features allows health providers to search patients’ medical records and find answers to general medical questions.

• The search engine is responsive to conversational prompts using natural language.

• Google touts high-end security measures and hopes that the new offering will help address labor shortages in the healthcare industry.

The bottom line: Google is aggressively expanding its AI offerings into healthcare. As a pioneer in this space, Google has the potential to transform the future of medicine.

🚨 AI Roundup: Three quick hits

• Big Money: Anthropic seeks $30 billion valuation in a new $2 billion funding round.

• Synthetic Media: TikTok now supports direct posting from AI-powered Adobe apps.

• Piece of the Pie: San Jose mayor hopes to attract AI companies to the city by offering incentives.

How was today’s newsletter? Your feedback helps me create better emails for you. Thanks for reading The Daily Update!

Jack

(P.S. If you want to share The Daily Update with a friend or colleague you can find it here.)