Is AI Good for the Planet?

The media hype AI as having the potential to change the world.

When describing AI’s potential to change the world, leaders such as Barack Obama use analogies to space exploration. In 2018, two reports from the National Science and Technology Council called for all sectors to invest in AI. According to the media, its extraordinary computing power promises to help people live better lives, solve social ills such as poverty and inequality, and empower communities.

The hype conceals capitalism’s “dramatic failures” that serve to reinforce the status quo. The majority of business executives believe they must invest in AI to expand their business. Major consulting firms insist that AI will enrich industries, particularly manufacturing and retail, by boosting productivity and reducing labor expenses – without mentioning the human cost. For example, the lack of resources in the poorest nations in South America and Africa means they cannot compete with the United States and China to build the infrastructure to expand AI globally. 

AI, a capital “mover,” puts the world’s financial resources in the hands of the few and powerful.

Consulting...