AI has become deeply ingrained in our lives, yet many people are still unaware of the impacts it has to our brains and the environment. Artificial intelligence is stripping environmental resources away and harms humans ability to connect cognitively.
Negativity of AI in Schools
Schools are made for learning, but does learning happen with artificial intelligence as a crutch to lean on? The use of AI in schools lets answers be a few clicks away, not time spent to think, analyze, and challenge yourself to strengthen your brain.
An M.I.T study led by Nataliya Kosmyna watched the brain activity of fifty-four people, some that used AI, some that used search engines, and some that used no help. It was found that, people that used AI and then tried to write an essay without it, brain activity was significantly lower than the other groupings. It was found they had low cognitive thinking, like memory and problem solving which is detrimental to being able to attain learning in schools.
Many students and teachers think the use of AI in schools as a tool to get information quickly is beneficial but AI stops your brain from keeping that information.
AI’s Environmental Harms
Schools are affected by AI but so is the environment. Humans have been destroying the planet for a long time and in a lot of ways. AI is the newest invention that depletes water sources, electricity, and rewards the planet by releasing carbon emissions, all at once.
In the list of AI’s environmental issues, the water use at the data centers stands out. Water is used at these data centers to keep the technology running smoothly without any chance of overheating. The UN Environment Programme wrote in their article titled AI’s environmental problems, “Globally, AI-related infrastructure may soon consume six times more water than Denmark, a country of 6 million, according to one estimate. That is a problem when a quarter of humanity already lacks access to clean water and sanitation”.
AI also takes very high amounts of electricity. The use of electricity for training and the consistent use of AI adds up. An average American uses 30 kilowatt-hours per day and AI uses 1,200 Megawatt-hours per day to train AI’s.
Another environmental impact is AI’s energy is releasing carbon emissions that add to pollution. Earth.org says, “Recently, a study was conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts to determine how much energy is used to train certain popular large AI models. According to the results, training can produce about 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.” For reference, they found that this was five times the amount a car emits in a human lifetime. Carbon emissions trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere causing global warming and other environmental problems that last.
