After reading the articles and watching the video, I learned many things I was previously unaware of. From the video “How AI Uses Our Drinking Water,” I discovered that many modern AI systems rely on huge data centers, which consume a significant amount of electricity to train large models, perform inference, and store essential data for our society. However, these computers require more than just power; they also need cooling systems, which often use large quantities of freshwater.
In the article “White Collar Unemployment,” I learned that AI is revolutionizing the job market, impacting not only repetitive manual labor but also white-collar jobs in knowledge sectors that were once believed to be immune to computerization. The landscape of work as we know it is changing, presenting both challenges and exciting opportunities. As AI advances and increasingly computerizes white-collar roles, many people will find themselves compelled to retrain, accept diminished wages, or navigate the uncertainties of employment.
Lastly, in the article “The Social Contract is Breaking, and AI is Holding the Hammer,” I learned that an increasing number of analysts, engineers, and environmental scientists are expressing concern that the rapid advancement of AI is subtly threatening the foundations of the social contract—the unspoken agreement between our institutions, the environment, and society. Once celebrated as a breakthrough for productivity and convenience, AI may instead be eroding water security, economic stability, and public trust in our systems.
All three sources highlighted the theme of AI gradually taking over various aspects of society. From my perspective, they effectively conveyed the urgent concern about AI’s impact on jobs that many people once considered stable, as well as its role in consuming resources like water for operation.
The articles “The Social Contract is Breaking” and “White Collar Unemployment” agree on the point that AI is increasingly taking over jobs once deemed secure. I found “White Collar Unemployment” to be the most persuasive. Recently, I’ve heard about many companies laying off employees to replace them with AI. I even saw a social media post about a woman who uses AI as her assistant, paying $24 a month for a 24-hour AI that answers calls and messages. I can relate to this article because I have listened to employers who have switched to using AI instead of human workers. The takeaway from these articles suggests that going into the field of building AI might be a useful option—if you can’t beat them, join them!
What I learned about AI that I didn’t know before may sound surprising: despite knowing what AI stands for, I didn’t realize how intelligent it truly is, the many tasks it can perform, and how much it has already taken over our society. Although the responses I received were informative, they often felt too computerized, almost like they were generated by a robot. This highlights a concern—while AI can provide great information, it may lead to issues like plagiarism in assignments if people simply copy and paste content. I do foresee a bright future for white-collar workers, as AI may not be suitable for every job. Just like the robots depicted on television, AI will malfunction at times, which means we will still need to rely on human workers.
Latoya,
These were the summaries of the articles, but I am assuming you didn’t do the AI experiment?
Dr P