Heading deeper into the school year, developing effective study habits is becoming increasingly more important. The introduction of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a review tool is a new and popular choice among students and is even encouraged by many teachers. However, the introduction of generative AI into our lives is something that I find unnecessary.
Generative AI is run by data centers that find, summarize and reproduce information relating to the topic asked of it. However, this process requires large amounts of electricity and water. According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) News, the electricity spent on training alone is 1,287 megawatt hours, enough to power an average of 120 U.S. homes for a year. Generative AI also needs water in order to cool down machinery after exertion. Excessive usage of water can prolong droughts in water-stressed areas, like Arizona and Chile, as stated by Harvard Business Review.
To train a generative AI model, it is fed information that it then uses to form its understanding of concepts. Unfortunately, this training can enforce and perpetuate biases and stereotypes existing in the information used. Proven by scientists at MIT, one language model, a system that mimics the human’s brain and ability to produce information, suggested gender stereotypes. It believed that occupations such as ‘flight attendant’ and ‘secretary’ were feminine, while ‘lawyer’ and ‘judge’ were masculine. Biases such as these can have harmful impacts on the ideas humans believe if AI is used on a regulatory basis. Additionally, generative AI inherently does not know the difference between true and false information. Even if it is trained on credible sources there is no guarantee that it doesn’t slip up. Despite the training AI goes through, it can still make mistakes that can be detrimental to the things users see and believe.
It can be argued that AI can provide feedback and be an efficient study tool, while providing extra advice curated to the individual user. But, this creates an isolated environment that could continue into our futures. Reviewing and receiving feedback from peers is an important part of our education that helps us develop teamwork skills that are crucial to life and the human experience. Generative AI provides a shortcut that lacks a human voice and further digitalizes and isolates the world we live in.
I do agree that generative AI can create useful tools to aid students in studying, but the benefits of generative AI usage don’t outweigh the extensive drawbacks that have a lasting impact on both the planet and the way we think.
