Comment on Brian Eno: “The biggest problem about AI is not intrinsic to AI. It’s to do with the fact that it’s owned by the same few people”

Polderviking@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

• Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  My biggest gripe with AI is the same problem I have with anything crypto crypto: It’s out of control power consumption relative to the problem it solves or purpose it serves.

  Don’t thrown all crypto under the bus. Only bitcoin and other proof of work protocols are power hungry. 2nd and 3rd generation crypto use mostly proof of stake and ZKrollups for security. Much more energy efficient.

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  • bob_lemon@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Sure, but despite all the crypto bros assurances to the contrary, the only real-world applications for it is buying drugs, paying ransoms and getting scammed. Which means that any non-zero amount of energy is too much energy.

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    • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      There are some use cases below, and none use proof of work.

      hbr.org/…/how-walmart-canada-uses-blockchain-to-s…

      alastria.io/en/renewable-energy-certification/

      prnewswire.com/…/south-american-airline-adopts-tr…

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  • Polderviking@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    I’m aware of this, but it still mostly just something for people speculate on. Something people buy, sit on, and then hopefully sell with a profit.

    Bitcoin was supposed to be a decentralized money alternative, but the amount of people actually buying things with crypto are highly negligible.

    And honestly even if was actually used for that the power consumption would still be something to discuss.

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    • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      Yes, most people buy, sit on, and then hopefully sell with a profit.

      However, there are a large number of devs building useful things (supply chain, money transfer, digital identity). Most as good as, but not yet better than incumbent solutions.

      My main challenge is the energy misconception. The ethereum network runs on the energy equivalent of a single wind turbine.

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    • null@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      And honestly even if it did serve it’s actual purpose, the cumulative power consumption would still be a point of debate.

      Yeah, but at that point you’d have to consider it against how much power the traditional banking system uses.

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• rottingleaf@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  Here we are using recycled bags, banning straws, putting explosive refrigerant in fridges and using led lights in everything, all in the name of the environment, while at the same time in some datacenter they are burning kwh’s by the bucket loads generating pictures of cats in space suits.

  That’s, #1, fashion and not about environment, #2, fashion promoted because it’s cheaper for the industry.

  And yes, power saved somewhere will just be spent elsewhere. Cheaper. Cause that means reduced demand for power (or grown not as fast as otherwise).

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• Guns0rWeD13@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  Here we are using recycled bags, banning straws, putting explosive refrigerant in fridges and using led lights in everything

  lol, sucker. none of that does shit and industry was already destroying the planet just fine before ai came along.

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  • Polderviking@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Dare I assume you are aware we have “industry” because we consume?

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    • Guns0rWeD13@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      yes. we are cancer. i live on as little as possible but i don’t delude myself into thinking my actions have any effect on the whole.

      i spent nearly 20 years not using paper towels until i realized how pointless it was. now i throw my trash out the window. we’re all fucked. if we want to change things, there’s only one tool that will fix it. until people realize that, i really don’t fucking care any more.

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      • Polderviking@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        now i throw my trash out the window.

        You don’t believe not using paper towels was a net positive so now you live in a pigsty? I’m not following.

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