There is a correlation between the training time and energy consumption, but that doesn’t mean there is a correlation between training time and carbon emissions.
With the grid mix constantly changing, what needs to happen to energy systems to reach the goal of 24/7 carbon free energy? Google has funded two studies to find out.
It’s quite easy to argue that modern civilization is much more robust and resilient than any ancient society, but consider how much of our critical infrastructure is written in memory unsafe languages!
Nationwide systems failure of the electricity transmission grid is unlikely, but what are the risks? What happens in a black start? Could space weather cause data loss? How do you access knowledge without electricity?