Recently, Altbot has been targeted by DDoS attacks. While the motive is unclear, it seems tied to a misguided belief that the bot’s alt-text generation is harmful to the environment. Let me set the record straight.
Altbot uses Gemini-1.5-flash, a specifically low-power AI model. Processing a single alt-text request consumes around 0.0005 kWh, meaning that in the 4 months since I created Altbot—and tens of thousands of alt-text entries generated—it has consumed roughly 10 kWh in total. That’s about the same energy as running a single LED light bulb nonstop for 41 days or driving an electric car just 40 miles.
These DDoS attacks, however, have already consumed more electricity and computing power than Altbot has across its entire existence... in a matter of hours. This means the attacks have caused more environmental harm than the very thing they seem to be protesting.
Altbot exists to improve accessibility on Mastodon, not to harm the environment. Accessibility and sustainability can coexist, and I’m committed to keeping Altbot energy-efficient and purposeful.
If there are concerns, I encourage constructive dialogue—not destructive actions that undermine both inclusivity and sustainability.
Thank you to everyone supporting Altbot’s mission of making the Fediverse more accessible for all.
@deilann@tech.lgbt@micr0 also as someone who sometimes has to use image recognition algorithms for this purpose I find altbot preferable to doing it personally - because if and when it is wrong (and it often is) it is not public information... Unlike altbot who shares it for all to see and a human tends to then provide more correct information...
@deilann@micr0 it also then makes it shared resources on top of being correctable...