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Artificial Intelligence – the very name should give us pause. Not to mention AI has lots of issues related to everything from intellectual property to job losses to our own intellect and emotions being removed from the equation. And there are also big eco- and relational impacts. Here is a summary of some of these implications from an MIT study and other sources:

-  By 2028, AI could be requiring as much energy as is used by 22% of US households.

-  Over half of this energy is produced by coal and gas, as AI cannot afford interruptions

in its power supply - as in Ohio, at right. And fossil fuels = climate change gases.

OpenAI’s Stargate data center in Texas will emit 3.7 million tons of CO2 per year – as much

as Iceland. A center in CA, with its strong environmental rules, will emit much less pollution

than one in West Virginia, where coal is king.

-   There is also a huge draw on fresh water to cool the data centers’ equipment – some

facilities use millions of gallons per day.

-   Of course we are part of the problem. The study revealed that making a five second AI

video at 16 frames per second takes as much energy as running a microwave for an hour.

-  Along with eco-effects are the emotional and relational impacts: three-quarters of US teenagers have turned to AI for friendship at some point; in a decade, over half of us will be going there for advice, care, companionship. And AI algorithms magnify existing prejudices, further dividing our divided society.

-  What about jobs - or lack thereof: A McKinsey report projects that by 2030, 30% of current U.S. jobs could be automated, with 60% significantly altered by AI tools. Goldman Sachs predicts up that to 50% of jobs could be fully automated by 2045, driven by generative AI and robotics.

-  And AI is just plain intrusive: “Conversational AI models are being practically shoved down our throats

and it's getting harder and harder to opt out,” notes Dr. Sasha Lucciani, an AI analyst.

 

What to do?

-  Don’t use AI for simple searches and tasks – other search engines can do the same thing with lots less energy. If you use an AI program, a smaller Language Model such as SmolLM is better – up to 150 times less energy per search!

-  If a data center is being built in your area, educate yourself and your community about the impacts – then join or organize protests and petition campaigns.

-  Seek the real: real conversations and real experiences, especially across lines that divide

us by age, gender, geography, culture, vocation, and race; real encounters of nature done

together – especially with children and youth, as these are an antidote to screen dependence,

since nothing engages like nature.

-  Summary: connecting to the realness of nature, others and one’s own wisdom

(thinking for yourself) not only sidelines AI but leads to a healthier and longer – as much

as 7.5 years – life!