A vastly incomplete list of many significant issues with artificial intelligence (AI) - particularly generative AI and/or large language models (LLMs), mostly so I have a single link to share when people enquire why I find AI so unethical.

This is inspired by a blog post I once saw (which was much longer and better, but I didn’t keep the link and have been unable to find it again). If you think you know the post I’m talking about, please send it my way.

• The considerable amounts of energy required. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
• The considerable amounts of water required. [1] [2]
• The poor working conditions and trauma imposed on Global South workers. [1] [2] [3]
• The exploitation of workers generally. [1] [2]
• The issues with consent and abuse. [1] [2]
• The mass layoffs because the work can supposedly be done by AI instead. [1]
• The use of AI to increase the extraction of fossil fuels. [1] [2]
• The use of AI by genocidal governments/militaries. [1]
• The theft of copyrighted material for training. [1]
• The overloading of public-good infrastructure. [1] [2]
• The supercharging of surveillance. [1]
• The impact on education systems. [1]
• The reinforcing of fascism, racism, transphobia. [1] [2]
• The enabling of disinformation and propaganda. [1]
• The impact of hallucinations, especially in medical contexts. [1] [2]
• The cognitive harms. [1]

See also:

• Tech continues to be political - Miriam Eric Suzanne
• I Am An AI Hater - Anthony Moser
• Selfish AI - Larry Garfield
• The AI Con by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna
• Empire of AI by Karen Hao