20 - Wild Card

 The Environmental Impact of AI Use

ChatGPT, among other Artificial Intelligence tools of the same nature, has become increasingly popular over the last few years (WiserNotify). Whether it be for students or businesses, among others, generative AI is a tool that can concisely complete a variety of tasks in a short amount of time. 

One of the most recent developments in digital journalism has been a growth in the use of Artificial Intelligence. Many major news websites, such as the Associated Press, The New York Times, and NPR, along with several individual journalists, have been implementing AI into either their algorithms or writings. 

While AI can be a beneficial tool for individuals, businesses, journalists, and news sites to be more efficient, we must understand the environmental implications of its use. In an age where climate change is a serious, impending issue, could the use of AI be an "unnecessary" evil? The Harvard Business Review provides these statistics and predictions:

• The training process for one AI model can consume thousands of megawatts hours of electricity and release hundreds of tons of carbon emissions. 
• AI model training causes the evaporation of large amounts of fresh water. 
• AI energy demand is expected to increase to at least 10 times the current level it is at by 2026. 
• AI demand is expected to increase energy consumption to at least 6% of the U.S.'s total energy usage by 2026. 
• AI usage creates local air pollution, thermal water pollution, and the production of solid wastes. 

Many users on X have also expressed their concerns with using AI for trivial tasks such as AI image generation. 

The post on the left critiques the use of AI in creating images concerning the suspect of the healthcare CEO assassination, and the post on the right critiques the use of AI in creating fake images of Britney Spears (Links to Original Posts in Photos). 

We must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of AI usage in our daily lives. While AI is an incredibly useful tool, it is also one that consumes energy and materials at levels that we cannot currently sustain. Instead of using AI for frivolous matters, such as seeing what we would look like as a fairy, we should be using AI for the important advancements it has made in healthcare and data analysis. 

More on AI's energy consumption from DW News (Video Link in Photo).