SS: This piece seems about right: notwithstanding legitimate concerns about our AI future, the current outcry over the environmental impact of data centers is overblown.
We collectively shrug at activities (be it cars, lawn care, meat consumption, golf courses, airplanes) that undoubtedly have far worse environmental impacts and externalities.
And this isn’t to say we should simply shrug at the negative externalities of data centers! But the solution is to make sure they are adequately taxed – not to reflectively ban them
Spectrum1523 on
The author is on point about the environmental case, but they seem delusional that people could simply choose to not use AI in ways that will prove socially harmful. If it’s economically beneficial to use them that way, they will out-compete humans. You refusing to let it become a ‘partner’ – when that’s not what is even ultimately on the table – is irrelevant.
Ultimately the environmental arguments against AI are all disingenuous; people are really worried about being made economically irrelevant and suffering for it
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SS: This piece seems about right: notwithstanding legitimate concerns about our AI future, the current outcry over the environmental impact of data centers is overblown.
We collectively shrug at activities (be it cars, lawn care, meat consumption, golf courses, airplanes) that undoubtedly have far worse environmental impacts and externalities.
And this isn’t to say we should simply shrug at the negative externalities of data centers! But the solution is to make sure they are adequately taxed – not to reflectively ban them
The author is on point about the environmental case, but they seem delusional that people could simply choose to not use AI in ways that will prove socially harmful. If it’s economically beneficial to use them that way, they will out-compete humans. You refusing to let it become a ‘partner’ – when that’s not what is even ultimately on the table – is irrelevant.
Ultimately the environmental arguments against AI are all disingenuous; people are really worried about being made economically irrelevant and suffering for it