In 1966, a man named Joseph Weizenbaum created the first AI chatbot, ELIZA. And since then, AI-generated content has had a steady rise, and suddenly, it has had a boost in popularity in the modern world, which has led to many problems for both humans and the environment.
Don’t get me wrong, generative AI could have positive effects on the world, but personally, the bad that AI has done surpasses the very little good AI has accomplished.
For example, let’s say that you have a question that you could’ve asked Google, but instead go to ChatGPT. That one response takes ten times the amount of electricity that a simple Google search could’ve given.
In 2012, there were around 500,000 data centers dedicated to the study of generative AI. However, as of 2025, that number has surged to over 8 million, which is absurd.
Additionally, the United Nations Environment Programme or UNEP has estimated that AI-related configuration will go through ten times the amount of water than the country of Denmark, which houses over six million people.
What’s the issue with that? Well, over 2 billion people have little to no access to clean water, and with the “progress” AI is making, the number of people without pristine water will only continue to rise.
Pushing aside generative AI for a minute, the release of AI-powered cars can lead to a scarcity of public transportation and a growth of greenhouse gas emissions.
There’s also the influence on cognitive function, including memory, processing, and reasoning. And AI has a negative influence on these very necessary functions– generative AI allows people to circumvent critical thinking that standard problem-solving and imagination demands. Generative AI enables people to circumvent the critical thinking that standard problem-solving and imagination require.
Next time you go to ChatGPT for something, ask yourself “can I do this myself?”
Don’t turn to AI, just ask someone, a teacher parent friend or someone else, to help you. That AI response will never be nearly as helpful or insightful as a fellow living, breathing human being could be.