Artificial Intelligence is being hailed by some as a panacea for many of society's problems. Every major technological shift (i.e. industrial revolution, cars) has caused major changes in society. Is AI expected to do any different?
One cost of AI adoption is:
Financial Costs:
"...we can start with a figure of $1,000 per square foot. A 1,000 square ft. data center would then cost $1 million on that basis. A data center of the size that Facebook or Google might use would cost from $250 million to $500 million". This would cover the building, servers, storage, software licenses, power, network connectivity, and cooling. This is the bare minimum an AI data center would cost. It does not include paychecks to employees and contractors, building and server upkeep, research and development, and so much more.
Update 29 Jan 2025
On 20 Jan 2025, the Chinese AI company DeepSeek launched an update that claims to be able to compete with the best AI companies while using a fraction for the resources.
Nine days later, the Chinese AI company Alibaba launched an update claiming to be able to surpass DeepSeek's.
One cost of AI adoption is:
Career Costs:
The cost to careers is highly contested. The United Nations says that "With AI, jobs are changing but no mass unemployment expected". However, other experts claim that "Generative AI will replace 2.4 million US jobs by 2030, and influence another eleven million". One thing everyone seems to agree on is that change is coming quickly.
One cost of AI adoption is:
Environmental Cost:
According to Scientific American "...as AI’s popularity keeps rising, more researchers and experts are noting the environmental cost. Training and running an AI system requires a great deal of computing power and electricity, and the resulting carbon dioxide emissions are one way AI affects the climate. But its environmental impact goes well beyond its carbon footprint" .
One cost of AI adoption is:
Student's Cost:
"AI’s potential to revolutionize the classroom experience and enhance learning opportunities is undeniable. However, concerns about data privacy, teacher-student relationships, and the impact on critical thinking skills have also surfaced". Another major concern of educators is the "AI-based educational tools are not always accessible to everyone. That results in an increase in educational inequality. Those without access may be unable to take advantage of the benefits that AI has to offer".