The burning of energy releases a small percentage of heat, which is currently around 4 to 5 percent of the warming impact from CO2. However, a significant increase in energy consumption, even if low carbon, could lead to a temperature rise of 40 degrees Fahrenheit globally, and a further increase could result in catastrophic consequences. This situation highlights a lack of understanding among many individuals, especially in finance and tech sectors, about the physics, energy, and ecology of our world. The speaker expresses concerns about various factors shaping the future, including the discrepancy between financial claims and reality, geopolitics, supply chain complexity, and the social contract.
In this Frankly, a follow up to “One Ring to Rule Them All”, Nate unpacks the common misconception that AI is the answer to all our energy and ecological problems, specifically climate change. As the development of AI continues to accelerate, many propose that we are entering the ‘Exponential Age’, yet what’s ignored is that we’ve just lived through an age of exponential impact on Earth’s systems. Under this same ‘operating system’, AI can at best act as a more powerful tool for the continuation of this phenomenon - not to restore ecological stability as some would hope. If AI is based on current cultural goals and aspirations, who will ultimately benefit and who will pay the costs? What types of solutions is AI capable of developing - and more importantly, where is the interplay of AI and human responsibility required to then implement those ideas to fruition?
To Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zY29LjWYHIo
For Show Notes and More: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-original/49-ai-vs-real-ecology