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The environmental cost of datacentres is rising. Is it time to quit AI? (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 month ago by arbilp3@aussie.zone to c/environment@aussie.zone

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I found this older article but I thought it's a relevant follow-up to the one I posted earlier today. Quitting AI?

There are many small ways to limit use.... People can unsubscribe from AI platforms, exclude AI results from search (for example, by adding “-AI” to the end of a search query) or avoid using it for unnecessary or energy-intensive tasks such as text-to-video prompts, or AI-generated images for celebrations or work presentations.

“Meta, Google and Microsoft have all baked [generative AI] deep into their systems,” Joshi says. “I see this all as very much part of the tactic of trying to embed these systems into society and instil dependency in a fashion similar to the growth of single-use plastics in the 1970s.”

Opting out can be a “meaningful act of resistance”, Joshi says. “It’s partly about not creating that energy demand but mostly about being part of broad collective action against [a] corrosive, harmful industry.”

I don't use chatbots, I don't use the Cloud, I don't have a smartphone, I've stopped using AI for searches. Sometime I get sucked in by AI images. Any other actions I can take? You in this community know a lot more about this tech than I do. Any advice would be welcome.

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[–] bignose@aussie.zone 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Any other actions I can take?

As with so many problems imposed by powerful groups, the effective actions we can take in response must also be group action.

Join Australian groups resisting the build of LLM data centres. Join groups pressuring Australian politicians to implement privacy laws (all LLM tech depends heavily on violating our privacy). Join groups in your professional field resisting LLMs in our workplaces. And so on.

Individual action is only a small effect, and tends to send no message (because you're effectively opting out of something, and to the extent you're successful, you're thereby not considered in any decision about you). Take positive action by joining groups that actively and loudly resist changes hostile to us.

[–] arbilp3@aussie.zone 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Australia is not at the stage of the US in terms of community action re the social license of data centres. At least, I haven't found such a community group. Imo we are more apathetic here unless we are being stoked up by fossil fuel interests. Anyway, aside from my narky opinion, thank you for your thoughtful response. I am no longer in the workforce so I am relieved to say this enormous issue does not affect me as it does those whose jobs may be on the line or who are obliged to work with AI whether they want to or not. But privacy and personal agency is at risk for all of us.

What I have found is a very recent report by the Climate Council, an independent Australian NGO. The report, CLOUDED FUTURE: MANAGING THE RISKS OF THE DATA CENTRE BOOM outlines clearly a lot of issues that governments need to consider and act on. You may be interested in looking at it in case it can provide any material that can help you in your own action: https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/CC-Report-Data-Centres.pdf