Since the dawn of the 21st century, humans have been busy bees, creating technological advances their ancestors couldn’t even begin to fathom. All that glitters is not gold, though, and with every new technology comes the potential for a slew of controversies. One new technology that has its pros and cons, especially in academia, is artificial intelligence (AI). If you’ve been on the internet at all in the last 2-3 years, you’ve most likely run into AI at some point. Whether you’ve seen an AI generated post on social media, used AI to help you study for a test, or talked to an AI customer service chat bot– there is no denying AI is everywhere in today’s society. There’s also no surprise that college students are a prevalent user of AI software: a 2024 study conducted by the Digital Education Council reported that globally, 86% of college students use AI to help them with their schoolwork, and 1 in 4 students surveyed use it to help them with their schoolwork daily. AI is definitely a multi-faceted tool: while older generations are under the impression that college students are just using AI to cheat, AI’s usages are way more broad (and beneficial for the student) than older adults may think. AI can and is used recessively and incorrectly by students in an academic setting every day, but it can be used in a productive way. However, while AI has massively streamlined and improved the daily lives of many, it comes with a lot of big-picture downsides. First, the environmental impact. For many, AI is just a tool on their computer or phone, and nothing more. The reality is, most AI operations take place in data centers– large buildings that hold a lot of processors. These data centers are where most of the environmental impact comes in. First, the materials used to construct these data centers are rare minerals and metals mined from the earth, typically in ways that are harmful to the mine works and the environment. Second, computers can overheat when used often for long periods of time, which means they need to be cooled down. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, AI data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day, which is about the same amount of water a town of 10,000-50,000 people uses. Factor in the fact that 2.1 billion (or 1 in 4) people globally still don’t have access to safe and clean drinking water– this is really alarming. Additionally, the carbon emissions from AI data centers negatively impacts the air quality for those living around it. Knowing all this, how do we fix it? For the average college student, my advice would be to seriously cut back on AI usage. Yes it’s helpful and can do so much more for you at a much faster rate. You know what else is really good at doing hard things? Your brain. Try using it. On a larger scale, petitioning governments around the world to standardize environmental regulations for AI companies and operations, as well as advocating for making AI more efficient (and therefore less harmful on the environment) can help. Next time, instead of asking Chat GPT to help you with your chemistry homework, ask a friend, or better yet, your professor! 

Author