Outputs and Consequences of DLSS
Intro
NVIDIA and GPUs
NVIDIA's DLSS technology is powered by graphics processing units (GPUs) that they sell along with software development platforms for accelerated computing solutions. It is best known for popularizing modern GPUs, which were revolutionary for gaming graphics. They're fast and detailed, and display intricate backgrounds and designs clearly.
But GPUs have developed over time and are now used in fields like machine learning, oil exploration, scientific image processing, statistics, linear algebra, 3D reconstruction, and medical research.
Positive Impacts of NVIDIA's GPUs
Positive Impacts
NVIDIA has released technology beyond GPUs that gives businesses the infrastructure to apply AI, including deep learning models, to anything they do. Businesses have applied NVIDIA's technology to their products that can improve the planet and society.
Healthcare
In the healthcare industry, institutions have been able to use technology for drug discovery, surgery, medical imaging, and wearable devices. A startup named SimBioSys created a system that helps surgeons more clearly identify tumors by converting MRI models to 3D models of breast tissue.
Research
Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute used NVIDIA's AI to help create technology that helped them analyze thousands of cancer genomes every year, and to look for a cure.
Climate
In terms of climate action, its AI has the potential to optimize solar and wind farms, enhance power grid reliability, advance carbon capture, and more. Even in its current stages, it has helped. A robot in Hong Kong named Clearbot uses AI for a boat that automatically cleans trash from water.
Negative Impacts of NVIDIA's GPUs
Negative Impacts
Although NVIDIA's modern, high-speed technology has helped the planet, it uses large amounts of energy and resources on its most popular product, the GPU.
Unfair Labor Practices and Environmental Impact
GPUs contain rare earth materials like tantalum and palladium. Typically found in Southeast Asia, they're called "conflict materials" because of the unfair labor practices often used to acquire them and their serious environmental impact, like the release of greenhouse gases that make up about 50% of emissions.
Diversity Challenges
NVIDIA has failed to support different groups of people equally. This was apparent in their official 2024 Hiring Data from their Corporate Sustainability Report. NVIDIA has discussed its efforts to push for diversity when hiring, but it needs to change its approach to be able to hire more women, people outside of the Americas, and people outside of two dominant races in its workforce.
Health Effects for Humans
The chemical components needed to make GPUs, such as copper clad laminates or other heavy metals, leak into the surrounding environment, water, and food chain. They eventually reach people, and can cause kidney dysfunction, nervous system disorders, and several other health effects.