Understanding AI’s true – and ever-increasing – impacts

Photo by Steve Johnson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/34472013/

87%. That’s how much the emissions of NVIDIA (worth 5 trillion dollars) increased in 2024, as an article from TruthDig is one of the only sources in the world to point out. This means it became the world’s most valuable company by answering soaring demand for AI… whilst doubling its carbon footprint. Not to mention … Continue reading Understanding AI’s true – and ever-increasing – impacts

Could AI Companions harm kids more than social media? (Updated x2)

November 2 update: In what seems like an unexpected move towards responsibility, Character.AI announced October 29 that it would ban access to its platform to under 18s. So, at least in theory, it wouldn't have to deal with any more accusations of causing suicides like that of Sewell Setzer III. But what does this really … Continue reading Could AI Companions harm kids more than social media? (Updated x2)

Who to follow in responsible AI – July 2025 edition

The GAFAM-powered 'big AI' hype train rolls inexorably on, crushing all in its path. Everyone? Not quite. Here's who to follow for a more responsible take on artificial intelligence! Article originally published on LinkedIn; posting it here for posterity! CLIMATE Dr. Sasha Luccioni (Climate & AI Lead, Hugging Face, above right) is the world's most … Continue reading Who to follow in responsible AI – July 2025 edition

AI’s Impacts, how to limit them, and why (updated)

"We can't quantify AI's impact, we don't have enough precise data." Oh really? It's largely in reaction to assertions like this that I first set about compiling the above stats, late 2024. Because, whilst a lot of figures floating around are questionable - most famously the assertion that 1 request to ChatGPT uses as much … Continue reading AI’s Impacts, how to limit them, and why (updated)

Is AI making the world a worse place?

Announced as “the Olympics of AI”, France’s AI Action Summit, which just ended here in Paris, was supposed to find new meaning for artificial intelligence, notably defining a way for European AI to compete with US and Chinese domination of this still much-hyped sector. In short, it claimed to answer tech bros’ favourite question: how … Continue reading Is AI making the world a worse place?

Helping the ‘Anxious Generation’ back into “discover mode”

My biggest wish for 2025: that young people be better protected online. It’s one of the reasons I created this blog in 2018; and today, these concerns are expertly expressed in Jonathan Haidt’s must-read book, The Anxious Generation.What’s the problem? Today, children are "over-protected in the real world and under-protected online", says Haidt.As a result, … Continue reading Helping the ‘Anxious Generation’ back into “discover mode”