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Is AI even a net positive to society?

Posted on 10/21/25 at 8:34 pm
Posted by deltaland
Member since Mar 2011
100338 posts
Posted on 10/21/25 at 8:34 pm
I say no. I think it will create more problems overall than solutions especially for your average person.

Elimates millions of jobs, what do you do with those people?

Leads to higher energy costs for consumers due to the vast amount needed for data centers

Can be used for nefarious means, such as deep fakes.


It will benefit the wealthy who can use it to increase productivity and reduce labor costs. They will sell it as a positive because it will lower cost of goods just like outsourcing to China has. But that doesn’t matter if everyone is poor and living off UBI or welfare due to no jobs. Power and economic control will be further concentrated into the hands of the few elite. The value and self worth of the regular Joe will be diminished to nothing. Middle class will be eliminated.

Then of course you have the whole possibility of AI becoming self aware like a Skynet scenario.


This is one of those instances of




Posted by Mellow Drama
Making Groceries
Member since Aug 2020
4656 posts
Posted on 10/21/25 at 8:51 pm to
quote:

Leads to higher energy costs for consumers due to the vast amount needed for data centers


this is what is the real head scratcher.

the AI data centers are wasting resources and likely degrading the environment, and nary a peep from the hypocritical left.

where is al gore and his ignoble Nobel prize?

where are the lefty loons who worshipped at gaia's altar?

where are the bigmouths who attempted to make common people feel guilty because we rented jet skis (oh my internal combustion engines!) for our kids to ride on summer vacation.

now these data centers are gulping valuable electric resources (just as the unwashed masses are told to use electric vehicles) and gulping valuable water resources.



Posted by Tiger985
Member since Nov 2006
7457 posts
Posted on 10/21/25 at 8:57 pm to
In the end , it will be a huge net negative and destructive to everything that defines us as human.

Of course it will offer some great benefits to mask it's destructive nature.

In a perfect world we would slam the brakes on the whole thing. Unfortunately we are too deep into a corporate and international AI arms race and none of these corporations or nations can afford to hit the brakes.

We are fricked
Posted by AtticusOSullivan
Member since Mar 2016
2886 posts
Posted on 10/21/25 at 8:58 pm to
The problem is that we are humans. Lets say we all agree to not develop it. That opens the door for say China to develop it and source it out for cheap labor which people will pay for to make profits at the cost of labor. We would all have to agree to not use it but human nature will not get all of us to agree to it. Its a sad end to a great run but predictable.
Posted by MajorityWhip
Member since Oct 2020
1167 posts
Posted on 10/21/25 at 9:01 pm to
quote:

Leads to higher energy costs for consumers due to the vast amount needed for data centers


That is why President Trump is having the AI data centers build their own power plants to provide energy to their centers and the areas around them.
Posted by mwrawls
Member since May 2022
124 posts
Posted on 10/21/25 at 9:06 pm to
There are some legitimately useful purposes for AI, such as using them as tools for the mass analysis of data to find patterns, trends, and insights that would be difficult, if not actually impossible for any human - or any group of humans - to ever do. So its usefulness as a data analysis tool is almost unsurpassed.

But, I see no other real use for large language model "AI's" for any other particularly useful purpose other than being used to churn out "AI slop" memes and I think it has (and will continue) to do more harm than good overall to society.

And don't get me started on the insanity of creating AGI ("Artificial General Intelligence" aka HAL 9000 or Skynet). If we created a sentient intelligence as smart as or smarter than a human then we will be well and truly screwed as a species sooner versus later. (For those not in the know, as soon as we create something intelligent enough to start recursively designing smarter variants of itself, it will become exponentially more intelligent than us very quickly and we may find ourselves so outsmarted by it that we couldn't even just shut it down as we'd be outmaneuvered at every turn.).

quote:

In a perfect world we would slam the brakes on the whole thing. Unfortunately we are too deep into a corporate and international AI arms race and none of these corporations or nations can afford to hit the brakes.
Yep! we are dumb.
This post was edited on 10/21/25 at 9:07 pm
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
71474 posts
Posted on 10/21/25 at 9:07 pm to
Look at the overall plan and listen to what those pushing it say. Elon is one of the worst. Him advocating to abolish all intellectual property law should tell you all you need to know. They want their AI engines to run unrestrained by any law at the expense of everyone. They want to kick the ladder out from under everyone below them.

If you ain't got it now, you will never have it.
Posted by mwrawls
Member since May 2022
124 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:37 am to
Which is why OpenAI and the other AI companies are only pushing regulations on AI restrictions now.... after they've already built what they wanted. Of course it's to just make it more difficult for competition to them - if they honestly cared about ethics and AI they would have ceased all of their work on it as soon as they became "ethical" and gone out of their way to prevent anyone else from further developing it. Hypocrites one and all.
Posted by Bjorn Cyborg
Member since Sep 2016
33931 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:38 am to
I've seen some pretty hot AI chicks, so that's a positive.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
465640 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:46 am to
The problem is that our competitors are investing just as much in AI and if you're wrong, we're fricked.
Posted by idlewatcher
Planet Arium
Member since Jan 2012
92373 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:49 am to
quote:

The problem is that our competitors are investing just as much in AI and if you're wrong, we're fricked.



I'm convinced with the ROI not being met, this bubble will burst sooner than later. Somewhat like green energy which isn't efficient nor cheap.
Posted by Y.A. Tittle
Member since Sep 2003
109607 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:49 am to
Do we even fully grasp what we are “competing” for, though?

I’m not even necessarily one of the big alarmists in this area, but I think that might be a legitimate question to try and answer.
Posted by Decatur
Member since Mar 2007
31648 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:53 am to
quote:

the AI data centers are wasting resources and likely degrading the environment, and nary a peep from the hypocritical left.


You need to get out more.
Posted by RohanGonzales
Member since Apr 2024
8100 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:54 am to
Fire is dangerous. Do we really need it?
Posted by how333
Member since Dec 2020
3960 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:54 am to
Doesn't matter. It's here to stay. It's just a tool that can be used in positive or negative ways.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
465640 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:55 am to
quote:

I'm convinced with the ROI not being met, this bubble will burst sooner than later.

I'm with you in the short term, but I think it's going to be an integral part of life long-term. Just like the dot-com boom. The internet only became more entrenched after, but there was just too much money rushing in too quickly.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
465640 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:55 am to
quote:

Do we even fully grasp what we are “competing” for, though?

No.

The case use for AI goes from magical to "tv hacker" to basic efficicency
Posted by NIH
Member since Aug 2008
119720 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 9:59 am to
The fact that the AI gurus can’t talk about it with specificity says enough. Just platitudes and “in 5-10 years x will happen” nonsense.
Posted by Decatur
Member since Mar 2007
31648 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 10:02 am to
quote:

I'm convinced with the ROI not being met, this bubble will burst sooner than later.


How long can they keep up the CapEx before reaching profitability? I’d think they can’t keep this up forever.
Posted by hansenthered1
Dixie
Member since Nov 2023
2280 posts
Posted on 10/22/25 at 10:24 am to
AI is the new .com bubble. We are witnessing people get super rich very quickly and thus we see from business leaders "irrational exuberance." This thing will pop and when it does, we'll see it take down many debut heavy western countries and what will come next will probably be social unrest and in many places socialism.

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