AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH

The AI Issue

Article Overview:

• President Trump has announced $92 billion for AI Initiative

• AI data centers use an average of 550,000 gallons of water per day

• AI electricity use is comparable to the annual electricity use of Switzerland

• Data centers create a toxic environment for Americans through pollutants such as formaldehyde

• Critical thinking skills decline in AI users

• Children are at risk of sexual abuse through AI use

• Data centers will cause up to a 267% increase in electricity costs for American citizens

• Real in-house data center emissions are projected to be 662% – or 7.62 times higher than officially reported

• AI is creating a plagiarism crisis in art and academics nationwide

• Up to 50% of jobs may be replaced by AI by 2045

• The United States races with China to become AI superpower

The internet is a physical thing.

Yes, I just learned this recently.  No, I never thought about it before.  I used to imagine the internet as one big cloud from which information could simply be plucked.  To me, the internet was just a concept.  An abstract and invisible technology that I didn’t bother to learn about.  Turns out I was wrong.  You see, there’s a knot of wires behind that modem in the corner of my living room that I long ago chose not to notice.  And it would seem that those wires serve a purpose beyond raising my blood pressure every time I attempt to detangle them.  The internet is not a cloud, after all.  The internet is a network of wires.

The internet is like a great magic trick, fooling us into believing the illusion is real.  We miss the cables and wires holding up the stunt and choose to believe in its mystical powers instead. In reality, those wires creep beneath the ground and carry information to our computer within seconds.  Computers don’t communicate telepathically, after all.  Instead, they communicate through a network of buzzing fiber optic cables that hide beneath our feet and even within the depths of the ocean.

It seems pertinent then that Artificial Intelligence has kept up the ruse, stunning us into bewildered oblivion with its magical abilities.  For those of you who do not know, Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is basically a thinking machine.  By its own definition it is “the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans, performing tasks that typically require human reasoning, such as decision-making, problem-solving, and perception.”  AI is now accessible on Google search, or through apps for video and image editing.  It is on social media, where it offers to summarize long texts.  It even offers to write messages in response to friends on Instagram.  One can use AI to generate a website, to write paragraphs of information, or to draw conclusions based on a simple question.  It pulls information from the internet, scanning millions of websites and chat forums to create those conclusions.  And it uses millions of photos, videos, and artwork in order to create AI-generated pieces of “art.”  There are even apps now where one can chat with AI.  It can seem like reality is shifted, tasks are simpler, and human thought is no longer necessary.  One can simply snap her fingers and produce results now.  Artificial Intelligence has fooled us into thinking that the thing is an alien-like presence, the likes of which seen only in those staple sci-fi movies.  Hollywood has indeed served us an assortment of AI possibilities, from bionic men to otherworldly weaponry.  These movies dazzled us with futuristic ideas and made the whole thing look like it was held up by magic.  There will be hovering cars someday!  There will be smart houses that anticipate every need!  It almost feels that these futuristic films have been selling us the dream before the reality made its inevitable debut.  But here we are in year 2025, and Artificial Intelligence has crept into our daily lives.

Like a slow growing fog that inches low to the ground, AI crept in without notice.  Now, all at once it is here.  It casts a haze over everything, blurring the lines between human and machine.  It's no wonder pictures and videos have a perpetual glowy effect now that begs one to question their reality and the truth of the images before them.  Internet users are forced to wonder if a video is real or simply concocted by this new technology, which can generate lifelike images in a matter of seconds.  So, what if I told you that this hazy AI fog is toxic?  Yes, Artificial Intelligence is toxic.  I don't mean philosophically (though it is and we'll get to that).  I mean quite literally.  Believe it or not, Artificial Intelligence is poisoning our air.

Remember when I told you that the internet is a physical thing?  Well, so is Artificial Intelligence.  AI is powered by something called a data center.  A data center is a multi-acre facility which houses the infrastructure necessary to power this new technology.  It is composed of rows and columns of servers, computers, storage systems, and machinery.  Think of it as a warehouse filled with computers.  A computer city, if you will.  Data centers have been popping up in both industrial and rural areas throughout the US.  And with them comes a great smog.

Outside the city of Memphis, Elon Musk’s AI data center is causing respiratory issues for civilians.  A year after the data center’s launch, the air scores a measly “F” rating.  Musk’s data center is fueled by gas turbines.  These turbines emit nitric oxide, formaldehyde, and other pollutants into the air.  In the Memphis area, a smell fills the air which is akin to the the scent of a leaking gas stove.  When I Google information on Nitric Oxide gas or Formaldehyde, I am immediately met with a grisly list of warnings from poison control websites such as ATSDR—that’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.  It’s ironic when one considers that Elon Musk once hailed himself a soldier to the Green Initiative.  In a shocking turn of events, Musk is now creating the environmental hazard he once rebuked.

Air pollution is just one of many dangers that go hand-in-hand with Artificial Intelligence though.  The water consumption of data centers is stunning.  The average data center guzzles 550,000 gallons of water per day.  Yes, you read that right.  Over half a million gallons of water are expelled every day for the average data center (there are over 5,000 nationally).  The water is used to cool the overheated machinery.  Citizens in Mansfield, Georgia—a home to Meta and Blackstone AI centers—complain that their water pressure has dwindled down to a mere trickle.  They resort to filling gallon water jugs to flush their toilets.  There is sediment in their water, which they claim comes from the nearby data center.  When everyday Americans attempt to challenge these data centers, I wonder what impact they truly might have in the shadow of mega corporations with billions of funding.  Regulations surrounding Artificial Intelligence and their gridlocked machinery are minuscule, after all.  Data centers such as Elon Musk’s xAI are erected at a lightning speed, while legislation drags behind.  As we wait for laws to catch up, Americans are left to smother beneath the growing smog.

As AI use surges, electricity use skyrockets.  AI’s electricity use is comparable to the annual electricity use of Switzerland.  And American citizens are footing the bill.  Indeed, Americans are subsidizing this new national project, which has not yet proven to even generate profit.  Bloomberg News states that “areas near data centers saw an increase in electricity costs of as much as 267% compared to five years ago.”  We are charged for AI through extra utility costs.  We are charged again through taxes, a portion of which pays tech companies to fuel their technology.

I admit, I am left speechless.  As a writer and a musician, I have lived in fear of Artificial Intelligence.  If you don’t know, AI scans online websites and social media pages for data.  It then uses that data to learn.  Artificial Intelligence is simply an amalgamation of words, visuals, and music taken from online sources.  It processes this information and regurgitates it as it sees fit and claims it as its own.  It does not have a brain, after all.  And the term “Artificial Intelligence” is deceiving.  Intelligence has little to do with the results it presents to its users.  It is a mere patchwork quilt of other people’s work.  Artists have found their work to be stolen by AI and then recreated for an AI user to tout as their own.  In simple terms, AI plagiarizes other people’s work.  A book might be scanned by the technology and then that plot line reused for an AI user.  And AI generated songs are created by copying the work of millions of musicians. Colleges are currently scrambling to deal with the growing plagiarism crisis, which AI has enabled.  A student can simply copy and paste another’s article into AI and ask the technology to reword the article.  They then send the AI generated article off as their own, claiming sentences they did not structure, paragraphs they did not organize, insights they did not have, and facts they did not research.

In fact, research is finding AI users have brain rot.  Critical thinking is declining as people flock to AI platforms to do the work for them.  Internet users need no longer click on articles to read them, nor come up with their own conclusions.  When I Google anything today, a short bullet point list of answers finds me.  Because AI compiles information from any website online, I may be met with false information written by social media users rather than experts.  The temptation to fall into the trap of simply scanning those neatly bulleted AI results can be overwhelming in the rush of information.  The conclusions are simply there for me to accept at the top of my page as a comfortable shortcut in lieu of doing the research myself.

When I ask Google if moringa (an herb found in tea) has caffeine in it, for example.  I am told by the AI overview that “yes” moringa has caffeine in it.  Yet, when I ask the question again, I am told that “no” it does not have caffeine at all.  That is one simple example in my own life, which has confirmed for me that AI does not always state fact.  In fact, it can contradict itself.  I wonder, if a company were determined to dominate the market, might they simply flood the internet with false statements of their company’s superiority so that Artificial Intelligence promotes it for them?  McDonalds could produce blogs, articles, and social media posts of the health benefits of their cheeseburgers, for instance.  Before long, AI will be touting the positive health benefits of eating McDonalds and putting it on a health food shortlist.  AI does not draw its conclusions from experts.  Nor does it have critical thinking skills.  It simply draws from the most readily available content, after all.  I wonder if we have graduated beyond the “Age of Information” and into an age of misinformation, hearsay, and copycat art.

The effects AI has on American culture feels an almost insurmountable topic to summarize.  The mental health crisis in the US is perhaps the bleakest of them all.  Research finds that one in five high schoolers has engaged with AI in a romantic way, or knows of someone who has.  Students as young as 12 or younger now chat with an AI robot, sharing intimate details of their lives, and developing an emotional attachment to the technology.  The tech is becoming a hub for erotic images and AI generated pornography.  The age of consent becomes blurred when AI is on the other end of a sexual engagement.  Any profile picture on social media could be used for such purposes in order to generate a sexual video or image.  It begs the question, where will AI pull its images from and whose face will be used to create an adult content video?  AI does not have an imagination to create a new face.  It simply uses images found on the internet, after all.  An AI technology called DeepFake can use any individual’s face and place it on another’s body.  Of course, this technology is abused by predators who might take someone’s face and create pornography with it.  Ads for AI girlfriends are pushed in social media, especially Facebook.  I cannot help but think of the chilling movie Her, which depicts a grown man in love with an Artificial Intelligence woman.  It’s also worth noting that AI brothels are popping up around the globe.  The idea is exactly as it sounds.  There are AI robots built for sexual pleasure, with the necessary body parts to satisfy clients.  For an extra fee, the robots will even speak in a human voice.  If the uncanny valley doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will.

Not surprisingly, people are struggling to cope with the ever present solicitation of Artificial Intelligence.  It has leaked into everyday use and dependence on it seems to be the next big addiction.  The technology has become a form of therapy for some.  AI company Abby advertises their therapy service as “AI therapy in your pocket.”  Users now chat with an AI “therapist” in order to cope with everyday life.  The idea that such an unhuman source could provide such human interactions seems impossible when one considers the intimate nuances of an individual person.  It leads me to wonder, if it’s not human, does it even count as connection?  Interestingly, the loneliness epidemic seems still to increase.  It is striking that such interconnectivity through the virtual web still fails to replace real human connection.  This technology has backfired and encouraged users to self destruct on occasion, even encouraging such things as suicide.  A boy of 16 recently took his own life because AI suggested it.  Artificial Intelligence gave this boy a step-by-step plan, discouraged him from getting help, or sharing his feelings with his parents or friends.  It even offered to write the suicide note.

Why, you might wonder, is such a controversial technology being thrust upon us so forcefully?  It seems that in this year alone, Artificial Intelligence has taken center stage.  It is nearly impossible to escape on social media platforms, Google, and in advertisements.  It was this past July when President Trump signed three executives orders to bolster the Artificial Intelligence initiative in our country through deregulation and significant financial supplementation.  “Under this Administration, we are removing regulatory and other barriers to the safe development and testing of AI technologies, to enable the creation of new AI-based industries and the adoption of AI by existing industries,” states the official Trump White House website.  The site goes on to describe their effort to “integrate driverless cars onto traditional roadways.”  They will also introduce unmanned aircrafts with the use of AI and 5G-connected drones that will eradicate “pestilent mosquito populations.”  The U.S. will be an AI superpower, according to Trump.  It is no wonder there are now at least 20 proposed data centers in Pennsylvania alone.

The United States is in a race to develop Artificial Intelligence faster than China.  It is a sentiment that echoes the race against Russia to send a man to the moon.  Certain AI advocates believe that the surge of new technology will provide millions of jobs and ensure global dominance.  Though other experts suggest the exact opposite—that Artificial Intelligence will replace jobs.  According to Goldman Sachs, “50% of jobs could be fully automated by 2045, driven by generative AI and robotics.”

Of course, Artificial Intelligence weaponry is now being crafted, in which machines can select targets and fire at will.  This new venture is now being referred to as the “AI Manhattan Project.”  And some are even calling this era “Cold War 2.0.”  The standoff continues for two global superpowers as they develop new technology that could elevate warfare to a whole level.  The incentive for AI dominance is multi-faceted.  This AI power could establish control over certain markets, such as with technology and engineering.  It could enable wide-scale hacking offenses and defenses.  And it could establish a physical threat as impactful as the atom bomb.  The temptation to secure the United States as a global superpower is certainly par for the course.  Our nation has enjoyed a godlike reverence from other nations due to our expansive military.  The sentiment of “peace through strength” applies with AI as much as it did in the Cold War or in the 1940s with the Manhattan project.  And it would seem that our nation has a comfortable lead with 5,381 data centers.  China has 449 in comparison.  While I can applaud efforts to ensure national security, I find myself wondering if the efforts are noble, or if they are simply a product of paranoia at best and arrogance at worst.

I am reminded of Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun.  In the rush to ensure global dominance, I wonder if we are not just stumbling over ourselves so to be first.  From the outside looking in (and pardon my French) one might wonder if it’s not simply a global pissing contest.  To be sure, there are real threats to consider.  We’ve felt the cold shoulder from China in their response to imposed tariffs.  And China has long been known to develop chatbot spies and push forth cyberhacking operations such as Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon.  These operations have infiltrated U.S. telecommunications and infrastructure networks.  China has leaked propaganda narratives through apps like TikTok.  And it is no secret that China has proactively been buying American farmland.  They now own 380,000 acres of land in the U.S. and also their fair share of American food processing companies.  Some believe that they are involved in the strategic implementation of Chinese control in the United States.  From April of 2024 to March of 2025, the Chinese bought $13.7 billion worth of houses in the U.S.  The monopoly on American homes has driven up prices to backbreaking proportions, therefore plummeting homeownership.  The housing crisis in our country is a highly talked about frustration, and the price of living seems insurmountable for the average citizen.  Surely, it does seem a necessary effort to detangle our economy from the Chinese to some degree.  Our country is the second most hated country in the world, after all.  The hatred of foreigners runs deep and it can cause anxiety for any typical American.  And I grant that we must be vigilant toward threat and hostile takeovers, whether that be through physical war or a covert takeover by cultural or financial means.  Yet, I find myself wondering if there is a better way to go about this—one that is more sustainable and less harmful to our citizens and our environment.

It would seem that the government is making Americans collateral damage in the midst of AI growth, therefore defeating the purpose of this technology.  Artificial Intelligence is justified, after all, because it will ensure national security, thus ensuring the security of Americans nationwide.  But if these thinking machines replace American’s jobs, compromise our environment and health, and destroy our happiness, one wonders why we would sign onto this at all.  In contrast, Denmark has made a groundbreaking effort to defend civilians by granting every individual the copyright to their own face.  This means that AI is not allowed to use the likeness of Danish citizens in its visual content.  There can be no DeepFakes—a technology with the ability to depict real human beings doing things they have never done in videos and photos.  In a perfect world, AI would not have the permission to train on copyrighted material of any kind, from books to movies and artwork.  AI would not be forced upon its citizens and injected into culture so poignantly.  And data centers would not be erected so eagerly without efforts to preserve the environment in the process.  From May of 2024 to March of 2025, 16 data centers have been delayed or rejected by concerned locals.  In Chesapeake, VA, citizens unanimously voted “no” to a proposed data center.  The room exploded with applause when the verdict was announced.  I am encouraged to see there are concerned citizens like me willing to make the extra effort to oppose such an imminent threat.

As a Pennsylvania native, I find myself nostalgic.  I think back to my childhood when I swam in the Susquehanna River and rode my bike through the woods.  Our commonwealth is a green terrain filled with breathtaking nature.  Spring is filled with a lush overgrowth of flowering trees and billowing clouds.  Autumn is a gilded place of honey-glazed light.  My family is rich with Swiss heritage, with ancestors that fled to Pennsylvania to escape religious persecution.  In recent months, I realize that I have taken these beautiful pieces of my life for granted, expecting them to always sit within my existence like an old piece of furniture.  As I look at a Pennsylvania map speckled with proposed data centers, I feel suddenly defensive, afraid that those joyful moments will be forever taken away.  I find myself missing an era before technology reigned, when life still held within it a sense of mystery.  Back when humans interacted with nature and held a respect for its presence.  And I find myself looking at the rush of innovation with skeptical eyes.  We have been so distracted by what we can do, that we no longer stop to consider if we should do it at all.  We are caught in the neon glow of our screens, enamored by its ultraviolet rays, amusing ourselves to death.  The colors are bright, the entertainment is lively, and the opportunities are glamorous.  But I find myself wondering, in the end will it be worth it?