Generative AI is a plague on the creative industries and on the environment. That’s it. That’s the introduction.
Let’s start with the environment: generative AI uses an absolute tonne of water due to energy-intensive cooling needs which isn’t brilliant for water sustainability and water scarcity. Of course, generative AI also uses a lot of electricity with data centre consumption estimated to be at 1,050 terrawats by 2026, placing their electricity use between Japan and Russia. Consider that for a moment: these data centres will use power closer to the whole of countries like Japan and Russia. I’m not an expert on the environment but none of this can be good for a planet where climate change is a pressing issue, threatening to destroy the world.
The environmental impact of generative AI should be enough to put anyone off using it but just in case that’s not enough: generative AI is incredibly unethical. Generative AI in art and creative writing is built on theft. The programmes that were trained to create the images and books that are currently spamming the stratosphere were trained on work by artists and writers respectively who were not compensated for their work nor asked for their consent. This came to a zenith recently with the revelation revealed by The Atlantic that Meta used books pirated by LibGen to train its AI. Again, the writers were not consulted let alone paid for the use of their work, breaching many interntional copyright laws. How is any of this okay with people who use generative AI? Why would you want to use programmes built on the unpaid labour of artists/writers?
A hill I’m willing to die on is this: AI art and AI writing is simply terrible. AI art progammes are prolific for not knowing how many fingers people have, and AI writing tools seemingly have the comprehensive skills of a 10 year old trying to sound cleverer than they actually are. I cannot stress this enough: if you are using AI in your work, you’re not a writer or an artist. You’re a theif-enabling person who need to either learn the skills to do it properly or not do it at all. Before you hit me with excuses, here are a few rebuttals.
“I’m *insert neurodivergent diagnosis here*, I need AI.” No, you don’t. I have AuDHD (Autism and ADHD) and I write just fine without AI. My style may not be for everybody but no one’s style is for everyone. It’s not impossible to learn how to do creative writing: it doesn’t require a degree. A lot of what I’ve learnt is from fellow writers through conversations we’ve had. Either learn or don’t do it.
“I only use AI for…” It doesn’t matter: cut it out. You’re still using programmes trained on stolen work to create stuff that isn’t even very good. It’s surely only going to detrimentally affect your work.
“It saves me time.” So, rather than put in the work to create masterpieces of creativity you want to type a couple of prompts into a generator? Good art and good writing takes work, practice, and refinement. A true artist/writer shouldn’t be seeking to save time.
Generative AI should get in the bin, and I won’t be swayed otherwise.
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