Tag: environmental impact

OpenAI’s newly launched Sora 2 makes AI’s environmental impact impossible to ignore

Admin Leave a comment
A dark, dystopian cityscape at night is dominated by towering data centers and skyscrapers, one of which prominently displays "OPENAI SORA 2" in glowing blue. Massive plumes of black and fiery red smoke billow from multiple buildings, symbolizing extreme environmental impact. A crowd of people looks on, while a holographic graph in the foreground shows "GLOBAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION: CRITICAL" and "CO2 EMISSIONS: EXTREME," with an icon of a distressed Earth. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.
The recent launch of OpenAI’s Sora 2, a highly advanced AI model, unequivocally brings the environmental impact of artificial intelligence to the forefront, making it impossible to overlook. This dramatic image visually represents the significant energy consumption and CO2 emissions associated with powerful AI systems, urging a critical examination of the ecological footprint of cutting-edge technological advancements. Image (and typos) generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Conversation

Summary

Robert Diab argues that the release of OpenAI’s Sora 2—a text-to-video model capable of generating ultra-realistic footage—has reignited urgent debate about AI’s environmental costs. While Sora 2’s creative potential is striking, its vast energy and water demands highlight the ecological footprint of large-scale AI. Data centres already consume around 1.5 % of global electricity, projected to double by 2030, with AI accounting for much of that growth. Competing narratives frame AI as either an ecological threat or a manageable risk, but Diab calls for transparency, regulation, and responsible scaling to ensure technological progress does not deepen environmental strain.

Key Points

  • Sora 2 showcases AI’s creative power but underscores its huge energy demands.
  • AI training and usage are accelerating global electricity and water consumption.
  • The “Jevons paradox” means efficiency gains can still drive higher total energy use.
  • Experts urge standardised, transparent reporting of AI’s environmental footprint.
  • Policymakers must balance innovation with sustainable data-centre expansion.

Keywords

, , , , , , ,

URL

https://theconversation.com/openais-newly-launched-sora-2-makes-ais-environmental-impact-impossible-to-ignore-266867

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News

We are lecturers in Trinity College Dublin. We see it as our responsibility to resist AI

Admin Leave a comment
Five distinguished individuals, appearing as senior academics in traditional robes, stand solemnly behind a large wooden table in an ornate, historic library. In front of them, a glowing orange holographic screen displays 'AI' with complex data and schematics. The scene conveys a sense of responsibility and potential resistance to AI within a venerable academic institution. Generated by Nano Banana.
In the hallowed halls of institutions like Trinity College Dublin, some educators are taking a principled stand, viewing it as their inherent responsibility to critically engage with and even resist the pervasive integration of AI into academic life. This image reflects a serious, considered approach to safeguarding traditional educational values amidst technological change. Image generated by Nano Banana.

Source

The Irish Times

Summary

Lecturers at Trinity College Dublin argue that even if all technical and ethical issues around generative AI were resolved, the use of GenAI still undermines fundamental elements of university education: fostering authentic human thinking, cultivating critique, and resisting the commodification of learning. They emphasise that GenAI produces plausible but shallow output, contributes to environmental and ethical harms, and can flatten student voice. The authors believe universities should reject the narrative that GenAI’s integration is inevitable, and instead double down on preserving human-centered pedagogies, critical thinking, and academic values.

Key Points

  • GenAI produces plausible but often shallow/false output; lacks true understanding.
  • Ethical, environmental, and social harms are tied to GenAI use.
  • Even with perfect versions, GenAI undermines authentic student thinking and writing.
  • Narratives of inevitability are resisted: universities can choose otherwise.
  • Universities should reaffirm critical, human intellectual labour and values.

Keywords

, , , , , ,

URL

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/09/04/opinion-we-are-lecturers-in-trinity-college-we-see-it-as-our-responsibility-to-resist-ai/

Summary generated by ChatGPT 5

GenAI News