AI Development Ignores Human and Environmental Costs
An opinion piece argues that current discussions about AI are misdirected, focusing on logistics and ethics rather than the severe human and environmental costs of its development. The authors contend that even 'ethical' AI relies on underpaid labor and extensive natural resource extraction, causing unavoidable harm. They call for an immediate shift to conversations focused on ending these harmful practices.
An opinion column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, authored by Marquette University faculty members Heidi Bostic and Stephen Pluhacek, asserts that contemporary conversations surrounding artificial intelligence are fundamentally flawed.
Instead of focusing on superficial aspects like data center placement, funding, or ethical AI use, the authors argue the discourse should center on AI's profound impact on humanity and the environment. They highlight that AI's development is predicated on the exploitation of underpaid workers and the extensive extraction of natural resources, leading to significant harm to both people and the planet.
The column criticizes the notion of 'ethical' AI, stating that even seemingly innocuous applications are built upon a 'long chain of mediation' involving vast natural resources, energy infrastructure, and human labor, often under harsh conditions for minimal wages. The authors contend that there is no ethical way to build data centers or use AI that avoids these harms, dismissing any consequentialist arguments for future benefits as unjust. They advocate for an immediate cessation of practices that harm people and the Earth, including the construction of new data centers and the use of harmful AI systems, urging a focus on deconstructing current systems to build more just and sustainable alternatives.