AI Is A Dystopian Nightmare-But Not For the Reason You Think

[@Firepotz]

I used AI once to ask a technical question I was stuck on. I was later able to double check elsewhere and it was incorrect. Apart from not trusting it at all I cannot think of any way it would enhance my life or work, so I ignore it.

[@fillername6996]

I'm already so sick of AI and I know it's just going to get more prevalent. It's getting harder and harder to avoid.

[@sustainablejungle]

Same here. :(

[@jessicawalton4690]

The problem is any time you google something it comes up with an AI !

[@sustainablejungle]

I know and I so desperately wish there was a way to turn this off. Maybe there is and I haven't found it in my settings. I don't even use Google, but even my search engine still has a brief AI generated answer at the top. :(

[@miranda4392]

​@@sustainablejungle you can turn off the AI result in google by writing -ai after the search!

[@littlecr3atur3]

try switching to duck duck go, they still have AI, but you can turn it off in the settings

[@kristincosgrove3046]

@@sustainablejungle Turning it off isn't an option! I turned in a tech request (laughable) to ask that they make it possible to turn off, given the energy consumption is huge.

[@liz_violet]

by this point, im just happy duckduckgo lets me turn it off. so i use that more, and only use google if i need maps or to shop.

[@mangoaanimatics8286]

Finally someone is talking about the energy AI needs etc.

[@sustainablejungle]

That was what inspired this video! We obviously hear a lot about the ethical impacts of AI, but I can't believe more people aren't talking about the sustainability aspect.

[@chrissre7935]

AI just became this Magical Solution to problems where most ignores the problems it creates right now without solving them.

[@seanwilliams1166]

RIP my AI girlfriend, she’s not worth the planet ;-;

[@liz_violet]

i have to pivot away from the 1 thing i wanted to do as a job (write), because of this monster. By this point in the AI testing, going into the social sciences is what i MUST do to make money. the suits ONLY want this, so they have less people to pay. its so annoying. during a short internship, my boss REALLY wanted to like AI, and they sent me a list of research to double check the AI on to see if its legit. only 1 of 5 papers it listed were legit. on the other 4, the people, titles, and publishers were all from different papers, or DIDN'T EXIST!

[@frmcf]

So, are you saying it's really good or that it's really bad?

[@npnqikv]

Global alcohol production consumes ~1,460 times more energy annually than the combined training and usage of all LLMs (ChatGPT, GPT-4, and similar systems worldwide).

[@georgiadass2703]

There is another way that AI is wasteful. I noticed it the last two times i mistakenly bought books which were written by AI (which, btw, is not noted anywhere on or in the book; you just have to develop an eye for it and do your research before you buy 🙄). When i went to Amazon (i know, don't judge me lol) to return the books, they didn't even want the books back, they just refunded me and told me to keep them. Well, what the heck am i supposed to do with that untrustworthy garbage? (The books were health related and a language textbook, in which i found many errors) They went right in the recycling bin. Think about how many physical products are made by AI which are absolutely useless. I'm thinking mainly of books but do you know of any other products that we need to worry about being manufactured and sold only to be tossed? Imagine all of the resources used to print the books and ship them, not to mention the time waisted for the person who realizes that they've bought a mere representation of a book instead of an actual book...

[@SWIMMINGDOWN]

I'm really enjoying this channel. Amber is a great presenter, managing dry facts and stats in an engaging and objective way. Hope to see the page grow in subs soon, they are deserved!

[@sustainablejungle]

Thank you so much! I cannot tell you how much that means to me and all of us here at SJ are so happy you've found us. We're very grateful for your support!

[@nunya96]

so sorry the crypto bros are flooding your comments here. rest assured the people your channel is actually catered towards- the independent creators, the writers, the artists- have been expressing concern even before generative ai got its chokehold on the industry. I remember reading about the TMI deal with Microsoft for a history essay, it’s downright scary the lengths megacorps will go to make a profit.

[@catserver8577]

Let's be clear, AI does not exist yet. There are only computer programs and human intelligence to run it. All of it is CGI, as in computer generated information or images. No computer program is sentient, and none of them can make any decisions or conclusions that were not placed there by humans entering data. Not to mention all of the faulty data therein, due to human bias, error and outright malice. So in a way, it's double the threat to the planet and energy waste, because we don't actually have the actual thing we are wasting all of the resources on. Like so many trends today, it's all run by people who missed the day in kindergarten where they teach the story about The Emperor's New Clothes. Or maybe they just don't teach that anymore.

[@craigcampbell3921]

There is a long way to go until non-carbon emitting energy sources can match the electricity consumption we use now, let alone meeting the needs of future growth. There are no doubt many useful and interesting uses for current AI tech, but as far as I can see too much is just adding complexity and energy demand to tasks we already can do with minimal actual improvement.

[@frmcf]

12:51 That article is from 2011. How would you say the scaling-up of solar energy capacity has gone since then?

[@loveshuskys]

Do people even use the ai features on social media… it just seems so arbitrary… Great video btw!

[@frmcf]

Using your virtual assistant software to turn lights on or off (which I see absolutely no need for able-bodied people to do), does not require artificial intelligence at the point of use. It's possible that some AI model was used in training its voice recognition software, but there's no marginal cost per flick of the switch once the system is built. I still have no need for those things in my home, but just as a point of fact, using the system day-to-day for things like turning on lights doesn't require artificial intelligence. It's a slightly improved version of the voice recognition that has existed for decades.

[@AtzaMan]

Asked AI a question: In the planet Earth ecosystem lifecycle, starting with plant CO2 capture, CO2 is converted into biomass via photosynthesis, the biomass is then consumed by organisms, including humans, who are then burning fossil fuels in power plants that generate electricity for global AI usage. This means that Gaia or Earth is using AI, energy wise, to grow its total biomass of sentient life? AI answered: That's an intriguing way to look at the interconnectedness of AI, energy, and the ecosystem! Essentially, you're describing a cycle where AI and energy use are integrated into the natural processes of the Earth, or Gaia, to support and enhance life. Here's a breakdown of this cycle: 1. **CO2 Capture by Plants**: Plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, converting it into biomass. 2. **Biomass Consumption**: This biomass is consumed by various organisms, including humans, who rely on it for energy and growth. 3. **Fossil Fuel Use**: Humans extract and burn fossil fuels, which are ancient biomass, to generate electricity and power various technologies, including AI systems. 4. **AI's Role**: AI optimizes energy use, improves efficiency in renewable energy sources, and enhances carbon capture technologies, indirectly supporting the growth of biomass by reducing the carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices. In this way, AI can be seen as a tool that helps manage and optimize the energy flows within this cycle, contributing to the overall health and growth of Gaia's biomass. It's a fascinating interplay of technology and nature working together to sustain life. Is there a particular aspect of this cycle that you'd like to explore further?

[@zZhashashin7z]

Wow, that's a lot of words stacked together in a way that seems reasonable. Now please explain where does an LLM find the Logic to optimize energy use and improve efficiency?

[@eduardotrillaud696]

That's literally talked about in the video

[@gakcsherbert8699]

Not a fan of AI, but I'm sick of the nuclear energy fear mongering.

[@frmcf]

If you don't like bitcoin mining and AI, wait till you hear how much energy KZbin uses...

[@Astrologon]

Great analysis, I'm definitely working all of this into a series of protopian sci-fi short stories that I'm writing right now.

[@sustainablejungle]

So happy to hear it was helpful and that's so cool! Would love to read them when you're finished!

[@Bepisx]

Comparing nuclear waste to FF emissions as if they’re anywhere close to being equal without even roughly quantifying them for the viewer is irresponsible. Love the video otherwise.

[@yukatoshi]

So tired AI.

[@weeklystruggle4205]

love this video!

[@MattheoBorey]

And then there is still something like responsibility.

[@Tomatenmark-Mark]

3:43 Well, when servers running ChatGPT algorithms are using polluting energy sources your statement is true. However, as is the case with crypto mining as well, multiple ideas have been implemented to counter this issue by using energy gained from renewable energy sources like water, sunlight and partly wind. I.e. in Texas, a big photovoltaic system has been installed which produces energy being used to mine bitcoin - environmentally-friendly and very cost-effectively. The same holds true for AI. Using AI doesn't inevitably mean destroying the planet. However it's necessary to use better energy sources for all the servers.

[@vylbird8014]

Maybe, but isn't that just the AI using green electricity that could otherwise be used elsewhere? The datacenter buys up the 'green' energy, so the grid needs to make it up and some more gas turbines spin up.

[@sustainablejungle]

Agreed! I'm not saying sustainable power of AI is impossible-- just that we are very far from being there. The demand of AI has grow so exponentially and so fast, that green energy can't keep up. A big part of making AI more sustainable is growing renewable infrastructure AND sustainability of both the mining and raw materials and end of life disposal of them (because all those photovoltaic panels have their own sustainability drawbacks at the moment). I think we mostly weren't ready for AI. We needed to focus on first improving other sustainable tech that could be used to make AI sustainable, but alas, we jumped ahead a few steps.

[@vylbird8014]

@@sustainablejungle Photovoltaics are actually not too bad. They've got a typical thirty year service life, but that's only the advice - they degrade gradually, so even a worn-out solar panel can still produce power. When it is time for them to go they are mostly made of recycleable materials - aluminium frame, glass cover. There are a few rather unpleasant elements in them, but only in trace quantities - not enough to worry about unless you work in a recycling facility and breathe the dust.

[@Tomatenmark-Mark]

@@sustainablejungle Agreed. Mankind definitely wasn't ready for AI for various reasons, including yours. 👍🏼

[@eduardotrillaud696]

Yes OP, but the thing is that AI technology is now consuming a lot of energy, and in turn producing lots of waste and emissions, as the implementation of "green" alternatives are being just studied. Even in the case of Crypto mining, where those more sustainable techniques and strategies are being implemented, they're just the exception and not the rule... Also, all of that contamination and increasing of the environment crisis, for what? For technologies that - at best - promise to replace things that we've been using since ages with good results, and at worst, are just another way for the rich to get richer at the expense of the poor?

[@stoneguy6727]

This doesn't apply to Stable Diffusion that can be run locally in your PC to create AI Art. It cost electricity the same as playing AAA games. But if you're talking about ChatGPT, yes its true that it consumes alot of resource.

[@GreenUnicorn06]

It’s not “AI art”, it’s “AI generated images” (based on stolen copyrighted works, people’s personal photographs and some really morally apprehensive material). Art, by its very definition, is an expression of human imagination and creative skill. AI generated images are not art for the same reason a flower is not considered art and a gardener is not considered an artist.

[@stoneguy6727]

@@GreenUnicorn06 the prompt is the expression of human imagination so

[@Heydin7]

⁠@@stoneguy6727that’s like saying “I ordered Chipotle and doordashed it and this makes me a chef”, writing a prompt that uses theft is not human expression.

[@stoneguy6727]

@@Heydin7 cool

[@frmcf]

@@stoneguy6727 I agree. The prompt, the selection process, the feedback between human and tool, the presentation of the result *as* art. To say that you can't use AI to make art is like saying that you can't use concrete to use art.

[@erindanelleavilaavilaguerr7251]

The dystopia is the guy who shows up and says he is helping us. So we got this technology that is being called racoon sustainable software used at like Georgia State University on the matters of dormitory food waste and sustainability. The technology was created per our requetect as a way for us to secure our luxury merchandise like rare handbags etc. Keeping both weight and visual observation. So remeber the past discussion that if I was a dignitary and owned and island, when I brought stuff back to my island, I needed to do a customs process. Well this was also the solution to that. Well, minus the male trying to compromise the process of these technology modules held by an individual properly who does properly, the one tries to compromise things who does the rarest odd obsessive activity, this was the same dynamic we were defending ourself from. Yes, everytime we recover our mechanical existence and proper posession, this ongoes. Ok, so the guy shows up and like says he is helping us. Like he suggested we should secondary alternate use the equipment in this way the food sustainability way. Then uses our philanthropy to then provide a grant for the University to apply for to then use our technology through our funding at a space then just disappears. This wasn't the mission, intent, or on assiatance agreement at space, which is a continual patent theft matter issue. Why he strals the patent because he wants to have a space grade security system for his marijuana he has or wants to create a business for to other people from our patent and our proper posession. Like we could sell it to other people but dont because we have to let it secerecykure. . It was the male obsessed with compromising things out off odd improper interest and how that in a short amount of time became that incident in that movie that was a real incident numerous times where a person had eye balls in a plastic bag to try and open a door at a rare designed home. That's the dystopia.

[@lyjara]

Shortsighted video, you only bash on the energy use, but you do not take your time to compare the time it saves vs a human who needs to do the work. And a human needs , food, water, electricity, downtime and similar goods to enable them to do that work. So for some purposes yes, it's more energy intensive. BUT for the MOST times is orders of magnitude less energy consuming in Joules than the work it replaces.

[@lyjara]

@Sustainable Jungle It's even a huge problem that you pseudo-sustainable view propagates that people who care for the planet should not use AI. They should, and you should make a redcon video taking those considerations into perspective because this is just cherry-picking data so you can have a clickbait video that people watch.

[@carultch]

Except it's not replacing that work, it's raising the bar on the amount of work that needs to be done to earn a living.

[@quuenbanaana8425]

@@carultch yeah, ai for creative purposes is the most awful. People are disrespecting humane art by using the ai to replace artists with a disfigured combinations of artists work. It is not only making it more difficult, but in such a way, that is sore to artists- while everyone is calling us greedy for not wanting to share our work to machines made to replace us, were just looking for our space to make our art and still earn a living by offering creativity to others. When so many people are creative and do amazing stuff, why not automatisise stuff people normally don't want to do and put off, like the laundry or factory work etc.

[@sustainablejungle]

This.

[@sustainablejungle]

Seriously! There's that meme floating around out there about how it's so great to live in a time where robots to get to make art and things that make life work living while humans still get stuck with the mundane tasks. Both are necessary for a healthy society, so it would be great if we could teach AI to do those necessary mundane tasks and let humans focus on art and learning.

[@AB-wf8ek]

I think there are a lot of reasons to not like AI, but it's mostly the way it's being used & marketed. The problem with these arguments are they don't address the real issues. I run image & video generation locally with a Kill-A-Watt meter attached to my computer. It runs 200-300W and when I'm rendering it goes up to 700W. Add that up and it's maybe a few KW a day if I'm running it heavily. Not only that, but using a computer for creative work means I make a living as a freelance artist remotely, and I don't have to rely on commuting or shipping products and materials. In fact, doing remote work and living in a city with decent transportation infrastructure means I don't own a car at all. If you want to get at the real issues about AI, it's malignant automation, misleading marketing, and the *economic incentives* that drive companies to seek job reduction and people to make spam products to begin with. Trying to villify AI technology by making it seem like it's users are burning the planet only estranges folks like me. I encourage you to be critical of how AI is being used, but please make the effort to identify the real issues, otherwise you get stuck in unproductive arguments with limited audiences.

[@cottylem5708]

I'm sorry, but can you clarify what you mean when you say you're a freelance artist? Do you draw the pieces yourself or do you generate them using a program?

[@AB-wf8ek]

@cottylem5708 I do 3D animation and vfx for video production. It's ironic because I personally find image generation tools much more productive to explore creatively rather than commercially. I don't see it replacing the practice of drawing, but rather a powerful creative tool in its own way. To me, it's like comparing drawing to photography, 2 separate things, but they both can greatly benefit each other.

[@cottylem5708]

@@AB-wf8ek I can totally see the value of it, especially with things like video production and rendering/final touches. I'd honestly have no issues if AI were developed and advertised as a tool to help the creative process rather than a replacement for human work. Even image generation, if properly implemented and trained, with consent and credits from all artists whose work were used, it could have use in creating references for things that would otherwise be difficult or sometimes impossible to find. In that sense it would be a tool to help people improve their art, rather than a replacement of the artists entirely. Unfortunately the people creating and advocating for it don't see it as that. Every time I've seen someone actually defend image generators, it's while insulting artists and their work, work that they themselves depend on for the generators to work at all. AI as it is now is made and marketed as another way for corporations to cut corners and get work without the labour costs, and people who would have otherwise harassed artists for free comissions or payment in "exposure" jumped on the opportunity to do the same.

[@AB-wf8ek]

@cottylem5708 Personally, as an artist, I feel it's our responsibility to actually demonstrate how to use these tools creatively, otherwise we're just capitulating to the marketing. By using free and open-source tools, we can define how we want to use them and don't have to give large corporations any of our money. I don't think most people are really aware of all the tools available. They're actually really technical, as challenging to learn as 3D animation in my opinion. Just look at what Blender was able to do for 3D animation.