Nonya Bidniss :CIAverified: on Nostr: TinyML (the ML stands for machine learning) is a low-cost, low-power implementation ...

TinyML (the ML stands for machine learning) is a low-cost, low-power implementation of AI that is being increasingly adopted in resource-poor regions, especially in the Global South. In contrast to the large language models (LLMs) that have dominated the news with their versatility and uncanny knack for humanlike expression, tinyML devices currently have modest, specialized capabilities. Yet they can be transformative. Murugan’s tinyML-equipped drones, for example, have been able to identify cashew leaves with the fungal disease Anthracnose with 95% to 99% accuracy. They should save farmers time they would otherwise spend looking for signs of disease themselves. And their ability to target treatments to diseased plants removes the need to indiscriminately spray pesticides on all the plants, which is both expensive and damaging to health and the environment.

TinyML

$2–$60: Cost per device (including sensors)
≤1–100 milliwatts: Average power consumption per device

LLMs

$25K–$70K: Average cost per AI chip, requires tens of thousands of chips
700–1200 Watts: Average power consumption per AI chip

#MachineLearning https://www.science.org/content/article/what-s-tinyml-global-south-s-alternative-power-hungry-pricey-ai