Discussion
Because of the unacceptable environmental and climate impact of data centers (and other stuff), I feel bad using AI and try to do so with sobriety. Am I doing enough? Am I just self-serving? Am I doing too much, even, as "AI is inevitable, and individual choice do not matter much"?
Thread 1/n
The post contains some reflections on these journeys, please go read if you are interested. Bottom line: of these three technologies, I ditched crypto completely and reduced air travel by maybe 65% and car use by 99%. I also ditched car ownership. I think I will eventually land on some way to use AI I can live with.
2/n
I do this because it feels right. I am under no illusion that I am "changing things". I know that change requires collective action, and try to participate in that too. But this kind of tech triage does help me to live more in harmony with my values. With some hard work and luck, our experiments and experiences can even inspire others to join such collective action, and provide food for thoughts.
3/n
All this means that @pluralistic has a point: "AI is just another technology". It has its uses. It has societal consequences, most of them bad, starting from its outsized damage to the environment and our efforts for climate change mitigation. It is peddled by a cynical, hyperconcentrated, monopolistic industry, and perched upon a harmful financial bubble. Just like, in various degrees, crypto, aviation and cars (and more!).
https://pluralistic.net/2026/08/19/banaility/
4/n
As Cory puts it:
"Using AI doesn’t make you evil, nor does it risk your sanity – no more than doing any of the other dangerous, compromised, unsustainable things that constitute our daily lives in this fraught moment."
Just so. And you even _need_ to use it if you are to experiment.
Whether we are talking about AI, commercial aviation, cars, PFOS, fast fashion, or whatever, experimenting with sustainable use is not nothing. While we wait for collective action, it has to be enough.
5/end
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