Innovating for Tomorrow: The Convergence of SE and Green AI

TL;DR

This paper explores how integrating sustainable practices with AI and software engineering can lead to environmentally conscious innovations, emphasizing the dual role of AI in enhancing software features and automating development tasks.

Contribution

It provides a reflection on environmentally friendly practices in AI-enabled software systems and discusses the environmental impact of foundation models in software development.

Findings

AI-enabled software systems can be made more sustainable.

Foundation models have significant environmental impacts.

Long-term strategies are needed for eco-friendly AI and SE integration.

Abstract

The latest advancements in machine learning, specifically in foundation models, are revolutionizing the frontiers of existing software engineering (SE) processes. This is a bi-directional phenomona, where 1) software systems are now challenged to provide AI-enabled features to their users, and 2) AI is used to automate tasks within the software development lifecycle. In an era where sustainability is a pressing societal concern, our community needs to adopt a long-term plan enabling a conscious transformation that aligns with environmental sustainability values. In this paper, we reflect on the impact of adopting environmentally friendly practices to create AI-enabled software systems and make considerations on the environmental impact of using foundation models for software development.