AI has been increasingly normalized throughout the past few months, but not many people realize what it's doing to the environment. Generative AI, like ChatGPT or Midjourney, consume roughly 1.8 - 12 litres of water for each kWh of energy used. For reference, 12 litres is the size of an average water cooler. 

Many people claim to be against AI, but then use Character.AI or ChatGPT. They are still harmful, because they are still consuming resources. The uptick in AI usage has expanded significantly since its beginnings, and is only going to get larger. 

But the water isn't the only resource being sucked up by AI- so is energy, which some claim that AI already uses as much energy as a small country. Power consumption will only rise, and soon we may not be able to produce as much energy as we need. AI data centres consume billions of gigajoules per year, and it's up to us to stop them.

AI is actively harming many jobs, such as artists and writers. Generative AI is stealing their jobs in the form of taking their pre-existing work and molding it to fit another shape. This negatively impacts the creative space, as it is actively stealing from artists without their permission. Plenty of TikTok trends have incorporated AI, but people don't realize that the art has to come from somewhere.

Not only that, but it's affecting students' performances. With more teenagers using AI to do their homework, they pose the risk of both getting answers wrong and failing entirely. With AI summaries, the learning done in classrooms is rendered useless. There are much better alternatives than using AI for studying tactics. 

Stop using Character.AI and ChatGPT for your writing needs. Just look on Pinterest for prompts or get feedback from other writers.