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Women in AI: Tamar Eilam's Work on IBM's Sustainable Computing

2024-12-05

To bring to the forefront the significant contributions of women in the AI field, TechCrunch is embarking on a series of in-depth interviews. These interviews aim to shine a light on the remarkable women who have played a crucial role in the AI revolution. One such woman is Tamar Eilam, who has dedicated 24 years to IBM and is currently an IBM fellow, focusing on sustainable computing.

Unveiling the Women Shaping the AI Future

IBM Fellow Tamar Eilam: A Pioneer in Sustainable Computing

Tamar Eilam has spent the past 24 years at IBM, where she is currently serving as the chief scientist for sustainable computing. Her work involves helping teams reduce the energy consumption of their computing processes. One of her most notable achievements is the open-source project Kepler, which enables the quantification of the energy consumption of individual, containerized applications.In an industry where energy consumption is becoming a critical issue as the AI revolution progresses, Eilam has been ahead of the curve. A Goldman Sachs report this year highlighted that one ChatGPT search requires 10 times the electricity compared to Google Search. Additionally, AI is expected to increase data center power demand by 160% in the near future. Eilam is working with IBM to address these challenges and find sustainable solutions."There needs to be a focus on sustainability in general," she told TechCrunch. "We have an issue, and we also have an opportunity."

The Energy Dilemma and AI's Potential

Eilam believes the industry is facing a conundrum. While AI has the potential to make industries more sustainable, currently, the technology itself is a significant resource drain. However, computing and AI can actually help decarbonize the electrical grid. Currently, the grid relies partly on renewable energy sources like water, the sun, and wind, which fluctuate in price and availability. This makes it difficult for data centers powered by these sources to provide consistent service to consumers."But natural resources aren't her only worry," she said. "Think about how many chips we're manufacturing and the carbon costs and toxic materials involved in the manufacturing process."At IBM, Eilam keeps these problems in mind and approaches sustainable AI holistically. For instance, IBM uses a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation to identify toxic materials in AI chips and accelerate the discovery of new materials to replace them.When it comes to operations, she advises teams on training AI models in energy-efficient ways. "Using less data, but high-quality data, you can converge quicker to a more accurate solution," she said.For fine-tuning, IBM has a speculative decoding technique to enhance inference efficiency. "Then you go down the stack," she continued. "We have our own platform, so we're building a lot of optimizations related to how you deploy these models on accelerators."Eilam emphasizes IBM's belief in openness and heterogeneity. "This is why we released Granite in multiple different sizes. Based on your use case, you can choose the size that suits you best, potentially saving costs and energy."They also build in observability to quantify various aspects, including energy consumption, latency, and throughput. Eilam sees her work as increasingly important as she hopes more people will trust IBM's models for effective and sustainable computing. "What we're telling them is 'hey, don't start from scratch.' Take Granite and fine-tune it. Do you know how much energy you save by not starting from scratch?" she said."The reason they want to start from scratch developing their own models is because they don't trust what's out there. Because you don't know what data went into the training and maybe you're violating some IP," she said. "We have IP indemnity for all our models because we can tell you exactly the data that went in, and we will assure you that there is no IP violation. So, that's where we're saying 'Hey, you can trust our models.'"

A Woman in AI: Overcoming Unconscious Biases

Eilam's background is in distributed cloud computing. In 2019, she attended a software conference where a keynote was about climate change. Since then, she has been committed to merging climate and computing and making a difference. However, diving deeper into AI often meant she was the only woman in the room. She has learned a lot about unconscious biases, which both men and women have in different ways."I think a lot about creating awareness," she said, especially as a woman in a leadership role. She co-led a workshop in IBM research a few years ago, discussing these biases with women. She advises women on their professional journeys to never be afraid to have opinions and express them."Persist, persist. If they don't listen, state it another time, and another time. That's the best advice I can give."

Investor Insights for the AI Future

Eilam thinks investors should look for startups that are transparent about their innovations. "Are they disclosing their data sources?" she said, adding that this also applies to a company sharing how much energy its AI consumes. She also emphasizes the importance of startups having guardrails in place to prevent high-risk scenarios.She is in favor of more regulations, although it can be challenging due to the complexity of the technology. The first step, she says, is transparency - being able to explain what is happening and being honest about the impact."If explainability is not there, and then we're using [AI] without consequences to people's potential future, there is an issue here," she said.

Haliey Welch, the renowned social media influencer known as “Hawk Tuah Girl,” took a significant leap by launching her own cryptocurrency. This move initially led to a brief surge in value but ended in a rapid crash within a matter of hours. Welch, at the age of 22, achieved overnight fame earlier this year when an off-color comment she made during an X-rated interview in Nashville went viral on social media. She has skillfully capitalized on this viral moment by introducing a merchandise line and a podcast.

Unraveling the Tale of Haliey Welch's Cryptocurrency Journey

Initial Success and Market Surge

The “HAWK” crypto “memecoin” made a remarkable impact shortly after its launch late Wednesday. According to data from DexScreener, it hit a staggering $490 million market cap. This sudden rise in value captured the attention of many in the cryptocurrency world. It seemed as if Welch had struck gold with her innovative venture. However, as with many things in the crypto market, this success was short-lived.Within just three hours, the coin experienced a dramatic plunge of 91%. Its valuation dropped from $490 million to a mere $41.7 million. This rapid decline left many investors and observers in shock. Welch herself acknowledged the situation and stated that her team had tried their best to deal with what they referred to as “snipers” – those who bought up the token at launch. Instagram/@hay_welch.

Controversy and Criticism

Data from Blockchain analysis site Bubblemaps revealed that a small number of crypto wallets controlled the majority of the available supply of “HAWK.” This fact fueled criticism on social media regarding so-called “snipers” or investors who buy up vast quantities of new meme tokens at launch. After the launch, Welch took to X to address the situation, stating that her team had “tried to stop snipers as best we could through high fees in the start of launch” and emphasizing that her insiders on the crypto project hadn’t “sold one token” of HAWK.Stephen “Coffeezilla” Findeisen, a prominent crypto YouTuber, was among those who criticized Welch’s token launch and warned the public to stay away. He wrote on X, “Memecoins always benefit A) insiders B) trading bots. Don’t be exit liquidity.” This criticism added to the already tense atmosphere surrounding Welch’s cryptocurrency venture.

Changing Perspectives and Intentions

In an interview with Fortune, Welch opened up about her cryptocurrency project. She stated that the memecoin was “not just a cash grab.” She admitted that she used to view cryptocurrency as “just a scam” and an “easy way for you to lose money,” but now she has a different outlook. Welch said, “I don’t really see it as, like, a gambling thing. I think it’s, like, a fun way to get my fans to interact.” This shift in perspective shows that Welch is trying to redefine the perception of cryptocurrency and its role in her life and that of her fans.Hawk Tuah Girl also has a podcast, which further showcases her efforts to engage with her audience on different platforms. YouTube / Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch. This additional venture allows her to connect with her fans on a more personal level and share her experiences and insights.In conclusion, Haliey Welch's cryptocurrency venture has been a rollercoaster ride. From initial success to market crash and subsequent criticism, it has been a topic of much discussion. Welch's efforts to navigate this complex world and change people's perceptions of cryptocurrency are worth observing. As the crypto market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Welch's story unfolds.

Bitcoin, the world's most prominent cryptocurrency, has witnessed a remarkable evolution. Its price surges, legal battles, and various events have shaped its narrative. Let's delve into the details.

Unraveling the Mysterious Tale of Bitcoin

Origins and Mysterious Creator

The identity of Bitcoin's creator remains a mystery. In 2008, an anonymous person named Satoshi Nakamoto first proposed the idea on the internet. This person explained how a peer-to-peer digital cash system could enable people to send virtual coins over the internet as easily as sending an email. Later, a complex computer system was created using a network of volunteers with special software and powerful computers to process transactions and create new coins. Over the years, many have been suspected of being Satoshi Nakamoto, but no one has been confirmed. In 2014, there was a false alarm when people pursued a Japanese-American man Dorian Nakamoto. In 2016, an Australian computer scientist Craig Wright claimed to be Satoshi, but after years of legal battles, the court ruled otherwise. This year, a Canadian Bitcoin expert Peter Todd denied being Satoshi, and a British man, Stephen Mollah, also made a claim but was not believed.

Price Surges and Record Highs

The price of Bitcoin has seen significant fluctuations. It did not pass $100,000 for the first time until recently, setting a new record high. Since Donald Trump won the US election and expressed pro-crypto policies, the price has been rising steadily. Just hours after Trump nominated former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) commissioner Paul Atkins as the head of the Wall Street regulator, Bitcoin reached this milestone. This valuation represents a 40% increase from the day of the US Presidential election one month ago and is more than double the price at the start of this year. The $100k milestone caused celebrations among crypto fans worldwide.

Bitcoin in Transactions and Beyond

The first-ever transaction with Bitcoin was the purchase of pizza. In 2010, Lazlo Hanyecz offered $41 worth of Bitcoin for two pizzas. This event showcased the power of Bitcoin as internet money. However, criminals also took notice, launching the first darknet marketplace where people used Bitcoin to buy and sell drugs and other illegal items. If Lazlo had held onto the coins, they would now be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Legal Tender and Controversies

In September 2021, El Salvador became the first country to make Bitcoin one of its legal tender. The law mandated that small businesses accept Bitcoin alongside the US dollar. This move attracted many Bitcoin fans and reporters, boosting the country's tourism for a while. Although the President hoped it would increase investment and cut costs for citizens, it did not work out as planned. The President has spent at least $120 million buying more than 6,000 bitcoins, hoping to make a profit for the country. One website tracking the country's Bitcoin holdings estimates that the coins have increased in value by 98%.

Kazakhstan's Crypto Boom and Bust

In 2021, Kazakhstan became a hotspot for Bitcoin mining. Warehouses full of the latest computers ran day and night to process crypto transactions and earn new bitcoins. The country's abundant coal reserves provided cheap electricity for these businesses. However, too many miners arrived, putting a strain on the electricity grid and risking blackouts. Within a year, the Kazakhstan Bitcoin mining industry went from boom to bust as the government imposed restrictions and increased taxes to slow growth. The Bitcoin network's use of electricity has raised concerns about its environmental impact.

Bitcoin and the Rubbish Dump

Imagine a person with a crypto wallet worth more than $100m accidentally throwing away the hard drive containing the login details. This is what happened to James Howells from south Wales. Due to the nature of crypto, recovering or resetting passwords is not easy. There is no customer support helpline like in traditional banking. Unfortunately, his local council in Newport refused to let him enter the landfill site where the hard drive ended up. He even offered to donate 25% of his Bitcoin to local charities, but they still refused.

Crypto King Fraudster

Former billionaire crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the crypto firm FTX and nicknamed 'Crypto King', lost a significant amount of Bitcoin. FTX was a cryptocurrency exchange that allowed people to trade normal money for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Bankman-Fried's empire was worth about $32bn until everything crashed within days. Journalists discovered that FTX was financially shaky and that Bankman-Fried had been transferring customer money to boost his other company, Alameda Research. In March this year, an American court sentenced him to 25 years in prison for fraud and money laundering.

Investment Bank Boom

Bitcoin continues to attract attention from investors and big companies worldwide. In January 2024, some of the world's biggest financial firms added Bitcoin to their official asset lists as Spot Bitcoin ETFs. These are like stocks and shares linked to the value of Bitcoin, and customers have been pouring billions into these new products. This is a significant milestone for crypto as some fans believe that people are finally taking Bitcoin seriously, just as its mysterious creator, Satoshi, envisioned. However, some still expect more wild moments as the Bitcoin story continues to unfold.