A tournament in the video game Warframe proved to be the last drop for Bella. Each member of her gaming team had only three days to submit ...
A tournament in the video game Warframe proved to be the last drop for Bella.
Each member of her gaming team had only three days to submit their own artwork. She was anxious about the short deadline, but she stayed determined—until the contest accepted an artwork created by artificial intelligence (AI).
"If AI hadn't been allowed into the competition, I might have considered taking part, but this time it felt like an insult to me: competing against someone who didn't put in any effort for this image," said the 21-year-old from the Czech Republic to Articlepedia TodayNext.
One of the reasons I ceased using generative AI is because I believe it's ethically incorrect. If I, as a creator, kept utilizing it, it would feel like a form of disloyalty. Essentially, I dedicated many years to developing and refining my abilities on my own, and now I'm employing something that takes the outcomes of others' efforts.
Bella is part of an increasing group known as "AI vegans," a term used to describe individuals who choose to avoid all generative artificial intelligence, which are systems developed using extensive data sets to produce text, images, and music among other content.
A trend that has been gradually increasing since the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022, with the anti-AI group on Reddit gaining over 71,000 subscribers.
Likewise with veganism, the basis is primarily moral and ecological.
Even a brief discussion with ChatGPT can consume the equivalent of a bottle of water, according to a2023 study. The technology's extraction of creative content has resulted in renowned artists, writers, directors, and musiciansuniting in protest.
"Generative AI constantly takes without permission from everything, breaches privacy, and profits from it," Marc, a 23-year-old individual who avoids AI and resides in Spain, told Articlepedia TodayNext.
It serves as a mechanism of capitalism to sustain the exploitation of workers or potentially elevate it to a higher stage.
Amid these worries, a more profound anxiety emerges about the potential negative impact of AI on our psychological well-being and intellectual growth, fostering an over-reliance on quick fixes that undermines our ability to think critically.
A recent, small-scale studyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) supports this claim, stating that its participants who utilized ChatGPT for writing essays showed reduced brain activity compared to those who did not use the tool.
ChatGPT users also faced difficulties in citing their own recent creations, and demonstrated poor performance at "neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels," according to the research.
This may have broader consequences for learning, self-assurance, and the way people apply AI in critical situations, as stated by Nataliya Kosmyna, co-researcher of the study and a research scientist within the MIT Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces team.
If someone doesn't truly recall what they just wrote, they don't experience a sense of ownership, which ultimately suggests they don't genuinely care about it. So, what if this isn't just a laboratory experiment? What if it's an actual scenario, like, you know, a life-or-death situation? Certain professions demand that.
For Lucy, a 22-year-old "AI vegan" from Spain, her worries focus on specific chatbots' inclination to flattery, which may result in the affirmation of delusional - andsometimes dangerous - ideas.
"I believe the digital age has already led to a lot of foolishness because individuals are misusing the internet and mobile devices, rather than utilizing them for learning. However, having people be ignorant while chatbots inform them that they are correct and exceptional is concerning," she stated.
The challenges of avoiding AI
Artificial intelligence that generates content has been advancing quickly, entering various fields such as employment, learning, social media platforms, and evenour relationships. This has made it more difficult for individuals to escape.
"You must possess a resilient mindset, but I have succeeded," said Marc, who previously worked in AI cybersecurity.
"It is particularly challenging to avoid it in university, for instance, when most students, and even educators, use it frequently for all purposes," he stated, noting that it has also caused a rift with his family, who are "addicted to the simplicity" that AI offers.
Lucy is also "strongly advised" to utilize AI during her internship at a graphic design firm - even though its outcomes can frequently be unreliable.
"Recently, a client requested that we animate their AI assistant (a rather unattractive depiction of a woman, showcasing the typical glossy unappeal of AI). We're having difficulties with this, as the video AI gives her excessively large hands and other similar issues. It's very unsettling," she said.
However, even if our careers demand the use of technology, Kosmyna argues that we must retain the ability to decide when and how it is utilized—exercising these rights with thoughtful deliberation.
"Am I engaging with it due to my job, conducting studies? Yes, definitely. Do we examine when a new feature emerges, for instance, or when a new assertion comes up? Yes. But do we use it for any other personal or professional purposes? Personally, I don't perceive the necessity to have it," she mentioned.
"Some of the [generative AI] applications are certainly intriguing, with some being more captivating than others. However, I don't need to consume seven trees and seven gallons of water just to rephrase an email," she stated.
Can artificial intelligence ever be considered ethical?
Most 'AI vegans' hold the central conviction that artificial intelligence is inherently immoral.
Although Marc believes it should be "banned and legally penalized," others support stricter rules that emphasize ethical behavior rather than financial gain.
"Artificial intelligence can indeed be ethical if the data used for training is obtained in an ethical manner and they don't involve exploited Kenyan workers in the process," Lucy stated.
The energy cost is probably going to be extremely high anyway, but I can't deny that I have some hobbies that are very energy-intensive or harmful to the environment, such as gaming, buying items from overseas for collecting, and similar activities.
At a moment when age limits are being introduced on social media sites in some nations, withAustralia passing a banFor those under 16, Kosmyna believes generative AI should be handled in the same way.
I believe it should be completely banned for young people. And by young people, I mean anyone attending school up to the age of 18," she stated, further noting, "And in educational settings, it should not be imposed upon you.
As AI becomes more integrated into our daily existence, there remains a reassuring perspective from those who choose to avoid it: the wonder of real life is unparalleled.
AI is extremely repetitive and lacks depth," Lucy remarked. "After the initial excitement fades, you realize how much better human-made entertainment is in comparison.
The 'AI vegans' mentioned in this article chose to share their stories with Articlepedia TodayNext regarding their decision to avoid AI, yet they preferred not to have their actual names published for privacy reasons.
