AI - My Part in its Downfall

There's no doubt that AI is pretty popular at the moment. Look anywhere on social media, websites and even commercials, and you'll find AI pictures, videos and memes. Some are funny, some are political, some are satirical, some have a serious message. But all of them avoided using human ingenuity, design and skill, relying instead on impressive modern tech.

While many of these images are passable (and continually improving), it's obvious that they are AI-generated, and it looks as if this trend could continue. This is mostly driven by cost savings and convenience - why pay a content creator, graphic designer or video editor when ChatGPT will do it for you for free or at a fraction of the cost?

Even so, the rumblings of dissent are gathering, growing louder by the day. Not everyone is happy about the status quo regarding AI, and the tide may be turning.

A good many of those leading the fightback against AI - understandably - are those whose careers and livelihoods have been adversely affected. Hundreds of thousands of skilled workers have found themselves jobless, replaced by a 'robot', and they will by no means be the last to feel the axe fall. Cast an eye over any of the headlines about the 'Tech Bros' and big-name LLMs, and you'll be certain to come across gleeful declarations about replacing more humans with ever-bigger data centres and more powerful Artificial Intelligence engines.

Aside from those who have lost their jobs, countless citizens are concerned about the dangers that AI pose to the human race. Google 'the paperclip problem' (or paperclip maximiser) and you'll get the idea! Essentially, there are serious concerns that AI will eventually regard the human race as a threat to its raison d'etre, resulting in the logical conclusion that we must be exterminated.

Finally, there are the environmental factors to consider. The average data centre uses between 1.5 and 5 million gallons of water PER DAY for cooling. They also consume vast amounts of energy and kick out harmful emissions. In addition, the hardware requires specific minerals, thereby increasing demand for mining. This leads to contaminated land and water supplies, as well as deforestation and soil erosion.

Up until a month or two ago, I had mixed feelings about AI, so I did some digging and discovered the truth, some of which is (briefly) outlined above. I previously regarded AI as a 'useful tool' for research and general editing advice. But the time has come to get off the fence, and I am now firmly against AI in any form. Content Creation Ace will avoid using AI models for any research or images. Furthermore, we will not endorse or interact with companies connected with AI.

I'm happy to report that we are by no means alone in this quest. Social media is awash with accounts echoing our very thoughts. Voices of dissent are growing louder, and the results are already tangible. Microsoft recently revealed it is scaling back spending on Co-Pilot, as nobody is using it. All the data shows that while 'overall adoption' of AI seems to be growing, the signs are clear: the rate of growth is slowing, stagnating and is in decline, especially among large corporations.

A recent court case also threw a spanner in the works by ruling that AI images cannot be classed as 'art', and therefore can't be copyrighted.

Adding to the woes of the AI companies, top economists have indicated that the AI bubble will burst. It's not a matter of if, but when.

The problem is that investors who have been (up to now) piling trillions of dollars into massive data centres are suddenly realising these buildings aren't money-making machines. If the investment looks shaky, they'll pull the plug. And when that plug is pulled, the financial and economic repercussions will be vast, felt worldwide. On top of the current issues, such as the insanity of the US/Israel action in Iran, along with the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict, we'll be feeling the effects for at least a decade.

In conclusion, it's time to take a stand and consign AI to history. Nobody needs ChatGPT to plan their lives, and we have to ask ourselves whether it's worth wrecking the planet so we can produce 'artwork' depicting gorillas sitting on the toilet reading the newspaper, or creating 'humorous' pictures of our pets.

In the end, we all stand to lose if we continue to support and endorse AI.

Let's stop relying on robots, take time to 'touch grass', speak to each other, show empathy, spread peace, and go forward together.