1.) AI uses lots of water and we need to conserve water
AI uses a ridiculous amount of water. I didn’t know this a year ago, but I do now.
AI uses water in two main ways:
- Cooling the servers being used
- Producing the energy it uses, which is a lot – the energy usage is also a huge problem
Water is life and fresh water is precious resource that is becoming more scarce. We do not need to be wasting it on AI.
Another unfortunate truth is that the data on the water usage of AI is not transparent and where there is data, it has been shown to be significantly underestimated.
2.) AI uses lots of energy, none of which is actually renewable
AI uses a silly amount of energy, too.
Is it ok if we just build more renewable energy to meet the demand, though?
According to this piece in MIT tech review, “…if we use rising electricity demand as a catalyst to lean harder into renewable energy and other low-carbon power sources, and push AI to get more efficient, doing more with less energy, then we can continue to slowly clean up the grid, even as AI continues to expand its reach in our lives.”
Nope, I don’t think so. Here’s a hot take from me, an environmentalist: Renewable energy does not exist.
Wherever AI data centers claim to get their power from, it’s not green or sustainable or whatever they say to make it sound fine. The minerals we use to build “renewable energy” are mined with fossil fuels, and those mines are not Earth-friendly.
Whatever energy we have is extremely valuable and has been extracted from the Earth at great cost to our future humans and all our relations. We should use what we have left wisely, not on ChatGPT queries, AI images, and other AI nonsense that has no value.
3.) AI whittles down our ability to read, write, form our own opinions, and communicate
We’re already subject to so much manipulation through the media, algorithms, and also just by nature of existing as an interconnected, social being.
But mostly, it’s those first things I mentioned that tend to push us in the wrong direction and seek things outside of ourselves and our communities in order to find meaning.
Fahrenheit 451, anyone? If you can see it, don’t exacerbate it.
Practice reading, writing, and communicating without AI if you tend to lean on it. One argument I hear for using AI is neurodivergence. From one neurodivergent person to another, we are not all meant to communicate in the same way. Our job is not to make neurotypical people more comfortable by masking ourselves. If anything, we need to shake up the status quo. It’s clear that business as usual isn’t working in the best interests of humanity.
Regardless of any neurodivergence, your differences are divine. Don’t hide yourself behind AI. Retain your ability to read, write, process, think, and communicate. Believe me, you will need these skills now and in the future.
4.) Computers cannot be held accountable for decision-making and AI is being used for warfare
Technologically advanced violence and destruction – not good karma, not something we need, not something in alignment with the Earth.
Avoid using AI in your work because as it currently exists, it sucks
There’s nothing Earth-friendly about water-chugging, energy-guzzling machines that assist with destroying social fabric, contribute to the dumbing down of humans, and make us more dependent on technology that is increasingly used to extract from and monitor us.
You might not be able to avoid AI in all cases, but whenever possible, do not use AI. As it stands, it is a tool of plutocrats and power-hungry people who are fine with the exploitation of the Earth. Hard pass!
