Dear students abusing AI,

You’re making a gigantic mistake. The essay you had ChatGPT generate for you is not only killing your work ethic and genuine abilities but harming the environment as well.

I’m a freshman in high school. I totally understand where you’re coming from; some days can be long, and it’s normal to have no motivation for school work. So, resorting to AI seems like a harmless solution. Well, I have news for you, it’s not an easy way out. 

A single prompt using ChatGPT is estimated to use 10 times the amount of energy a Google search would, according to a Goldman Sachs report. Seems ridiculous to use AI in a circumstance where a simple Google search would suffice, right? It’s alarming how frequently many of you would use Chat GPT inappropriately, to write an email or ask a simple question that a teacher or Google could answer. It’s even more disappointing that many of you would do it without a second thought.

Because of you, colleges and high schools are having to redesign curriculums to combat this AI epidemic. Besides the risk of getting caught, do you not feel bad? Morally, what you’re doing is just plain wrong. Having something else do your work for you, even if it’s a computer program, is still unacceptable. Do you not feel unaccomplished? Or even maybe disappointed in yourself and your academic abilities?

Setting aside the personal and moral issues that come with AI, you are simply hurting the environment. According to Adam Zewe at MIT, Generative AI may consume 7 to 8 times the power compared to a typical computing workload. Seven to eight times more energy is an alarming number. If that doesn’t concern you, then maybe you can consider the disruption it causes. Tons of water is needed to cool the hardware used for these AI models, disrupting ecosystems and using resources. So maybe you don’t understand carbon footprint or the electrical sides of things, but don’t ignore the obvious effect on the environment that exists alongside.

In no way am I saying that generative AI is completely harmful. It can be a valuable resource for teachers and students alike moving forward, but as a person and as someone earning an education, it is important to acknowledge how easy it is to cross the line into abusing this resource. If you’re using it very sparsely and for things like inspiration, research, or in another way that doesn’t involve plagiarism, that’s already a gigantic step in the right direction.

Please consider the harm you’re causing to yourself, the schools, and the environment before being lazy or unthoughtful. Limit yourself to using generative AI minimally as a tool instead of a cheat, and I promise you will be contributing to making a positive change for everyone on this planet.

Sincerely,

Piper Lombardi