someone tell them AI isnt good for the environment
Comment on DuckDuckGo poll says 90% responders don't want AI
58008@lemmy.world 3 days ago
At least they have an AI-free option, as annoying as it is to have to opt into it.
On a related note, it’s hilarious to me that the Ecosia search engine has AI built in. Like, I don’t think planting any number of trees is going to offset the damage AI has done and will do to the planet.
Mwa@thelemmy.club 3 days ago
NewDay@piefed.social 2 days ago
Ecosia produces its own green solar energy. According to them, they produce twice as much as they consume. The AI is still shit, because it is just ChatGPT.
morto@piefed.social 2 days ago
Reducing the albedo of some area just to disperse the captured energy for no utility (ai) is still harmful to the environment and contributes to earth’s energy imbalance. Solar energy is great when it replaces fossil fuel emissions, not when it’s just wasted.
Mwa@thelemmy.club 2 days ago
that gives me a good idea for them: a opt-in AI powered entirely by solar energy if we solve the ethics problem first ofc
kevin2107@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I don’t get this argument when literally everything else is hundreds of times worse like lifestock and cars. Removing either one today would dramatically change the environment.
Do you drive a car or take any kind of transportation?
sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
Well, I don’t know about that.
My swiss hoster just started offering AI and says that their AI infrastructure is 100 % powered by renewables and the waste heat is used for district heating.
You could argue that LLM training in itself used so much energy that you’ll never be able to compensate for the damage, but I don’t know. 🤷
PixxlMan@lemmy.world 3 days ago
While good, you should always keep in mind that using renewables for this means that power can’t be used for other purposes, meaning the difference has to be covered by other sources of energy. Always bear in mind that these things don’t exist in a vaccum. The resources they use always mean resources aren’t used elsewhere. At worst this would mean that new clean power is built to power a waste, and then old dirty power has to be used for everything else, instead of being replaced by clean energy.
sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
That’s actually a very good point, thanks!
MBM@lemmings.world 2 days ago
Yeah that reminds me of the data centres hogging green energy that was meant for households
Demdaru@lemmy.world 3 days ago
On the other hand…the same private entity wouldn’t buy the means to produce renewable power if they didn’t want to power their AI center. So in the ends, nothing changes, and the power couldn’t be used for other purposes because it simply wouldn’t be generated.
However, as they did and are using it to promote themselves, they are influencing others to also adopt renewable energy policy in a way, no matter how small.
No, normally I am not that optimistic, but I am trying ^^"
UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 days ago
Do you believe them? Why?
sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
It fits their business structure and values and of course there’s a good portion good faith on my end because I didn’t check first hand.
notthebees@reddthat.com 3 days ago
I’m just happy they give the option to turn off the ai overview as a setting.
SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 2 days ago
Yeah, luckily it’s very easy to turn off.
Electricd@lemmybefree.net 2 days ago
Like, I don’t think planting any number of trees is going to offset the damage AI has done and will do to the planet.
That’s true for pretty much everything, so not a real argument
Magnum@infosec.pub 3 days ago
lol what? Do they have some kind of statement addressing that?
Deckname@olio.cafe 3 days ago
Yes they addressed it here. its kind of understandable given that they want to exist and everyone else has AI… But companies… At least you can turn it off.
wewbull@feddit.uk 3 days ago
At this point not having AI would be a selling point.
Magnum@infosec.pub 3 days ago
I wish they would have talked about how many teees you need to offset an ecosia AI search
Resonosity@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
And make AI opt-in rather than opt-out so Ecosia can educate their users
UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 days ago
I want to know what economic forces are making it so that having AI, which costs money and very few users actually want, such a forgone conclusion. Who is paying them?
mghackerlady@leminal.space 2 days ago
Investors who bought into the hype and the middle managers who are scared of being fired by them
Dojan@pawb.social 2 days ago
Climate intelligence. Gods, excuse me while I go fetch my skeleton that was ejected from my body due to the cringe.