Big Technology Podcast AI’s Drawbacks: Environmental Damage, Bad Benchmarks, Outsourcing Thinking — With Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna
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May 14, 2025 
Emily M. Bender, a linguistics professor at the University of Washington, and Alex Hanna, Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute, dive deep into AI's environmental impacts and ethical dilemmas. They challenge the sustainability claims of tech giants, revealing the hidden costs of large language models. The duo debates whether AI tools are genuinely beneficial or just sophisticated tricks, critiquing benchmark practices and discussing the implications of AI in fields like medicine. Their candid exchange leaves listeners questioning the true cost of generative AI.
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The Parlor Trick of AI
- Large language models act as parlor tricks that mimic language without true understanding.
- They create illusions of intelligence, misleading people about their real capabilities and roles.
Hidden Environmental Costs of AI
- The environmental impact of AI includes huge energy, water usage, and carbon footprint.
- Inference for AI chatbots can be 30 to 60 times more energy intensive than traditional search.
AI Data Centers Drain Communities
- Communities like Dulles, Oregon, face losing water access due to data center consumption.
- Local groups fight these impacts often without widespread media coverage.
