AI Revolt
The backlash is growing amid data centers to job destruction
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Major job losses, replacing job roles, manufacturing slop, stolen creative work, grifters pushing everyone to use it, damaging data centers stealing land, homes, and creating environmental damage….No wonder college graduating students are booing tone deaf commencement speeches touting AI as a grand future. In the rush to outbuild each other, none of the tech oligarchs stopped to ask themselves if they should, and now we are here. And while there is some inevitable use for the technology, so much of it is being pushed upon the public as regurgitated information we already gave it. So what next?
*Updated: Read Pope Leo’s Warning of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical
*Related: AOC Confronts Official With Effects Of Data Centers On Local Water Supplies
*Related: Read the latest on Elon Musk (Grok) vs Sam Altman (OpenAI) in court
Now in the interest of being transparent, do I use AI in some capacity? Yes. As an assistant or co-brainstorming partner, but I minimize its use and I never share anything too personal, nor my creative writing. Just wanted to state that.
In recent months, we are seeing a rising tide if AI revolt, as society is currently pushing back against artificial intelligence with questions about the destruction in its wake, from corporate surveillance to environmental strain, and job displacement. AI researchers and ethicists point out that the real threat isn't a rogue machine, but rather the technology behaving exactly as it is programmed to do. Because AI systems optimize ruthlessly for specific metrics, experts warn about unintended consequences, such as severe economic inequality, algorithmic bias, or models refusing to shut down when given priority commands.
In terms of the future of work, tech employees are actively protesting internal AI surveillance and sweeping layoffs by AI replacements (like Amazon and Meta). Meta staff actually initiated a major internal revolt over the company's plan to install keystroke and mouse-tracking software, with workers circulated petitions and staged digital sit-ins, angry that their own activity was being monitored to train AI systems that could eventually replace them. With the job market as bad as it is, this is not very promising for recent graduates, nor for the growing wealth inequality in the country - GenZ in particular is right to question the future. Watch this video by Sinead Bovell, futurist and the founder of tech education company, WAYE:
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Add to the increasing skepticism, the rise of grifters trying to seel you courses or products, often hiding their sponsored posts or business interests. Just recently, Reese Witherspoon, Mel Robbins and Sheryl Sandberg sparked intense online backlash by pushing AI - specifically framing ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot as female empowerment tools. Critics have condemned the campaign as fear-mongering and a "girlbossification" of technology, accusing these highly paid influencers of shilling for tech corporations. Even Demi Moore had a bizarre statement at this week’s Cannes film festival, which not only ignores the many current issues, but also ignores the inequality across access points for the technology or work in the fields.
Read more on the “The Girlbossification of AI” in the New York Times and The Cut
Data Center Environmental Disasters
Recent polling reveals that nearly 70% of Americans oppose the construction of new AI data centers in their local communities due to noise pollution, skyrocketing utility bills, and severe strain on local power grids. All over the country, citizens are being completely ignored in their opposition to data centers taking over land and resources in their home districts, in favor of wealthy investors and greedy council members. See what just happened in Utah last week as a prime example or watch this More Perfect Union segment below.