How does running a local LLM that’s already been trained contribute to the environmental costs of training? It’s already trained whether I run it or not, and running it locally isn’t generating any revenue for the company that did the training (therefore it doesn’t encourage them to train more). This isn’t like a physical product where every time someone obtains a copy, more environmental damage has to be done manufacturing it, training is a one time cost.
The environmental impact of running a local LLM is significantly lower than buying a half-gallon carton of almond milk.
How does running a local LLM that’s already been trained contribute to the environmental costs of training? It’s already trained whether I run it or not, and running it locally isn’t generating any revenue for the company that did the training (therefore it doesn’t encourage them to train more). This isn’t like a physical product where every time someone obtains a copy, more environmental damage has to be done manufacturing it, training is a one time cost.
The environmental impact of running a local LLM is significantly lower than buying a half-gallon carton of almond milk.