AI: Not All Brains, Some Brawn Too

Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to inform you that we’ve fallen for the oldest marketing trick around: the old ‘it’s digital so it surely doesn’t require resources’ shtick. Apparently, our electronics are not as lightweight as they are made out to be. At least environmentally speaking. Computers running AI are less like sparkling unicorns creating rainbows from thin air, and more like mega power gluttons that could make Godzilla look like a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. So, let’s delve into debunking this digital myth once and for ‘all’.

Key Points

• Artificial Intelligence isn’t as weightless as it is portrayed. The concept of a “paperless” office or “frictionless” transactions has got us all looped up. But just like the “low fat” label on your favorite ice cream, it’s not really true.
• Your nifty new electronic device might seem harmless, but Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler’s work in their book “Atlas of AI” sure puts those benign thoughts in the naughty corner.
• Ever paid a visit to a data centre? Imagine walking into a gigantic metallic shed vibrating with the hum of thousands of servers, guzzling electricity like it’s running out of fashion, and demanding enough water for cooling to put a camel to shame.

Final Thoughts

So, it looks like we’ve been bamboozled. AI models might be doing Einstein-level computations, but they’re also pulling off an impressive Houdini act, devouring our resources under the veil of “invisibility”. It’s high time we blow the whistle on these digital gluttons, and start drafting some legislation to combat this e-waste issue. After all, Mother Nature’s been pretty clear with her `System Overload` warnings. This might be our Ctrl+Alt+Del moment, folks!