jsomae

joined 1 year ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

My point is we can’t stop fighting for the environment and throw it under the bus just because AI is the new threat of the day.

100% agree. However, I don't think AI is a serious environmental threat. It's a threat for other reasons.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Since what happens on Lemmy stays on Lemmy, I guess it must be fine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago

yeah but he's a daddy tho 😘

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Yeah I agree that AI is going to kill us, but I don't think it's the environmental impact from AI that is a serious concern. Google's numbers are that their water usage is equivalent to 55 golf courses (there are nearly 1k golf courses in california) -- that's their whole company, not just AI. And as for power usage, they're about equal to the city of Toronto -- that's a lot, but they're already building nuclear power plants, so that seems like a net positive for environmental impact to me. We won't need to burn coal if they are selling bone-aching ad-driven nuclear power as a side hustle on their AI business. (I'm speculating they would do this, but it seems like something they'd do.) I hate ads but I'll take ads over fossil fuels.

I most likely hate AI as much as you do, so you know, I am not stubbornly resistant to the idea that they might be bad for the environment. This is just what my research indicates, that they're not a serious environmental concern. You can change my mind if you have a different perspective -- I mean this earnestly. I'm all ears.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I don't know of anyone out there who opposes AI for purely environmental reasons but approves of its societal impact. I could be wrong. But I think a lot of us don't really believe that it has much impact on the environment. The numbers are quantifiable -- and it's pretty small compared to other things. It could become a problem with exponential growth, but like, is it that big a deal if we end up with nuclear power? And all the water being used as coolant comes from, say, Virginia, where as I understand it they have no dearth of water and that's where most of the datacentres are being built?

I'm not saying that the it being soulless slop is a hard fact. I'm saying the whole fuck-ai crowd agrees on this, as do I. But I don't think we all agree about the environmental impact being a serious concern (since the evidence for this is, in my view, questionable; and I suspect this is the opinion of others here as well.)

[–] [email protected] 26 points 5 days ago (9 children)

How about let's all not talk or make angry memes about the guy. Ross requested that he not be harassed. Something about not wanting negative energy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (2 children)

How much energy does AI really use? (zdnet) Seems like queries aren't that expensive, so I guess the enormous energy cost of AI must be mostly from training. I reckon this is why apologists try to minimize it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I'm skeptical that those 4k developers are using their entire GPU for 8 hours a day. I would be surprised if even 10% of the ~~brain~~ GPU was being used. Though there are CI servers running ontop of that, but typically much fewer than there are developers. I would estimate 5 GWh as a liberal upper bound.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Seems more like "putting things in scale" than "whataboutism." I'm not sure I agree with the premise, but I don't think it's whataboutism at all. Whataboutism would be "it's fine, because something else is worse," whereas I think the commenter is trying to say "it's not much, since it's less than something else that isn't much either."

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 days ago

Don't listen to them.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

some day I hope to be brave enough to post pictures of my house on the internet

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