While the best AI systems train neural networks based on 32-bit algorithms, the procedure can also be carried out with “binary neural networks” (1-bit algorithm). This drastically reduces the effort in the individual calculation steps and immediately leads to energy savings by a factor of 20. Although binary neural networks are currently about 5 % less accurate than those of AI systems of global players, the reduction can save 95 % electricity usage. With AI applications being used millions of times a day, total emissions can be decreased significantly. More information...

Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel is CEO and Scientific Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering (HPI) as well as Dean of the Digital Engineering Faculty at the University of Potsdam. He holds the chair of Internet Technologies and Systems and teaches courses on IT Systems Engineering on the MOOC platform openHPI and at the HPI School of Design Thinking. He is engaged in the fields of cybersecurity and digital education. He has developed the MOOC platform openHPI.de, supervises numerous Ph.D. students, and is a teacher at the HPI School of Design Thinking, where he is also scientifically active in research.