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Just curious what you guys think? I just got downvoted into oblivion on Reddit for the AI graphic.
I'll reply before reading what others have to say, just so my answer won't be influenced. I suspect that my response will be too long to hold most of our forum users' attention.
AI offers HUGE potential for mankind. For me, personally, it's helped me with a better understanding of complex physics problems. I'm no astrophysicist, nor am I a common layman. There are few traditional books for people at my level, and AI is a huge help. It also helps me when it's your birthday and I want to send you a picture of a raccoon drawn in a Dali-esque style.
For real researchers, AI is already helping solve protein folding problems, developing cancer treatments, antibiotics, and disease detection. It's real, it's now, and people are benefitting.
Before we all grab our torches and pitchforks and storm the datacenters, let's take a quick look at other technologies that humans have feared.
150 BC: Plato, Thamus, and Socrates all criticized writing because it would create forgetfulness.
100 AD: The development of water mills were met with a period of widespread anti-mill agitation. The fear was mills would displace workers and disrupt economies.
1400 AD: The printing press threatened manuscript production and access to written information. Dangerous and heretical ideas could easily spread among the population.
1500 AD: Rifling in firearms was feared to disrupt the existing paradigm. Many thought rifles took too long to load, and precision aiming wasn't necessary in warfare of the time.
1600 AD: Galileo's use of a telescope and mathematics got him sentenced to house arrest for the remainder of his life.
1700 AD: Advances in textile manufacturing created fear among workers regarding their livelihoods and how they would spend their time. The result was many mobs destroying machinery. This fear eventually devolved into the Luddites of the early 1800's.
1800 AD: It was feared the telephone would weaken social interaction and invade privacy.
The bicycle was feared to be too dangerous, conflict with horse traffic, and cause ladies problems.
Automobiles were thought to be unsafe, a hazard to horses and pedestrians, and a disruption to commerce.
Recorded sound was thought to be a threat to live performers.
Photography was thought to invade privacy, be deceptive, and in some cultures, steal souls.
I don't have a crystal ball but I'm intrigued by the tangential benefits that datacenters might provide. We can all agree that we have an existing power generation and distribution problem in our country. ALL the big AI companies are investing in the development of new power sources. The most interesting are Meta's, Google's, Amazon's, and Microsoft's agreements to build advanced reactors. Small nuke plants can not only be economical and reduce CO2 emissions, but they will eliminate the wildfire risk associated with our existing distribution networks. Look at your electricity bill. Here in CA, the cost of the electricity is miniscule compared to the cost of delivery. This AI revolution not only provides direct benefits, but indirect benefits to society as a whole.