The Spire

Olivia Zimmerman ’29

Staff Writer

Is mankind doomed? Over the past years, we have seen a rapid change in our world—one that has been headed by AI. With AI’s increasing prevalence in our society, change is inevitable for us. I think it is natural for people to resist change, for it is difficult to depart from the comfort of what we know. Sometimes change can be good, even if it uproots the order we have come to know and understand. However, change can also be devastating. Since AI continues to make strides in its integration into society, we have to acknowledge and discuss the change that will inevitably ensue.

I think human creativity and critical thinking is actively being diminished by these robotic tools. AI is effectively leeching off the brains of individuals—taking in and storing information the user has provided and in return spouting out words the user wants to see. In doing so, the chatbot is stifling the individual’s independent thinking and critical analysis skills. Moreover, it is stifling creativity. I think the sweeping loss of creativity that will undoubtedly result from AI’s arrival is shameful. Art is being replaced by soulless amalgamations of shapes and color, trying desperately to recreate mankind’s eye for all things creative and unique. It is disappointing, but what are we to do? There is no taking back the damage that has been done. I do believe that mankind has become, in a way, reliant on AI. Its dangers are easy to see. I mean, nothing makes me more angry than those ridiculous AI-generated videos that are ripping away human creativity and talent and replacing it with mindless, computerized vomit. There are times when not even I can distinguish between what is real and what is generated by a soulless piece of machinery, and I am only left with an impending fear flooding through my veins. The implications of this are quite scary, and it makes me wonder where our world is headed. 

I am someone who likes to dub themself “anti-AI,” because I can’t stand the thought of AI integrating into human activity. However, the truth is AI has already begun its integration. Even me, who chooses to avoid use of chatbots like ChatGPT and apps that rely on AI, am a participant in this new evolution. Google’s AI Overview box has done wonders for me, and I am almost embarrassed to say so. AI is used in generating algorithms for apps that I certainly have downloaded. It is everywhere, and it would be nearly impossible to thread it out of modern society as we know it.

I want to take a moment to dismantle the argument that AI is just another new phenomenon that people will eventually adjust to; that calculators and GPS had the same kind of reaction, yet they have neatly found their place in society without extensive repercussions. AI is very different from calculators and GPS. While it is true that these inventions took away jobs, their impact was far less extensive than AI’s. Not only is AI rapidly eliminating jobs, but the environment is also suffering as a result of this innovation. It is dying at the hands of AI. Data centers are actively consuming massive amounts of water and electricity. A small AI data center uses, on average, more electricity than 80,000 homes. Large ones use more electricity than 750,000 homes. They use up to 5 million gallons of water daily for cooling purposes. It is as though a product that was created to further the efficiency of mankind is actively destroying it.

I have been discussing the implications of AI—about the way we treat it, about its impact on creativity, about its unfortunate assimilation into humanity. While some people may propose that we advocate for its removal from modern society, we have to understand that this solution would only create further problems for us. The U.S. economy would be devastated. In recent years, AI has become a backbone in our economy, and its loss would cause the economy to face an immense hit, perhaps an irrecoverable one. Efficiency would be severely decreased, especially in healthcare and business related fields. The world would be slower, generating a massive culture shock to our race. Things would be different and not necessarily for the better. In the end, we are left with an unfortunate reality: the consequences of AI are surmounting, but it is too late now to turn back. We can only move forward and try to reshape how we exist with AI. 

Featured image courtesy of Harbor Research