I don't know about you but I can't eat AI

I know it’s not exactly about “art” OR is it? With many “artists” dropping the pencils and brushes leaning into AI it begs the question, do you understand what you’re contributing to?

Listen I get it. It’s useful, it saves time, it can provide services for next to nothing. I’m sure you’re all aware of hearing the cons continually preached by those it’s quickly nudging out. Another perspective is gaining notoriety however. Land, water, power and pollution. Now there will be those that say, “ open ai doesn’t contribute to this problem”. Ok you’re right, however take the percentage of people using it as a tool for editing, creating and etc. vs the general public that have zero clue what any of that is or means. It’ll vastly outweigh the claim. Now they’ll say, “well it’s a consumers market”. Again yes you’re right, however at what cost? 

I can only speak to what’s going on immediately around me. Where my state is openly allowing and advocating for more data centers (137 total and counting) that are pushing farmers out with increasing property taxes, using loopholes to take land. Increasing power consumption/ power bills. Massive water intake where facilities like google on the Columbia river has basically pushed the city to buy 150 acres of mount hood forest to divert water again for its consumption. Morrow county has seen pollutants rise well over unsafe levels causing major health issues for the residents. Coincidentally the county commissioner that took initiative to have wells tested that failed, every single one of them, got ran out of his position by special interest groups working for these facilities. 
Not only has the damage been done and still ongoing, these multi billionaire entities receive massive tax breaks that not only take tax revenue out of the communities they’re in but the state as a whole. That’s hundreds of millions of dollars that a state is asking the tax payer to make up for. 


The other small ripple that’s starting is in fact power. Where again states like oregon are pushing feverishly for “alternative power” sources like windmills and solar farms. Did I mention how many acres of land these centers take? And where they take it? Most every one of them are in rural areas. That’s farm land, ranch land, beautiful landscapes and quietness that the residents who occupy those areas in fact live there for. But why are they buying up these areas? It’s cheap, the land owners such as farmers and ranchers have been in these areas generationally. Most of these are older generations whose family don’t want to farm, they’re tired and broke or just ready to give up. Certain dollar amounts per acre sets up retirement pretty nicely. Why does that matter? Farming is on the decline rapidly and being replaced with data centers and “affordable housing” which is a whole other discussion. That leaves corporate AG to thrive and import food sources which again is another discussion. Insert generalized opinion by people who can’t understand here, “the US has millions of acres of farmland already”. Ok yeah for now……. Since 2017 to 2024 it’s been recorded that 142,000 to 160,000 farms have closed or been consolidated with 15,000 small farms and ranches closed from 2023-2025. To which my reply is, “ I can’t eat ai, while adding, I’d rather know where my food comes from so supporting my local farms to me is crucial”. 


I know sounds like a lot. Sounds like a lot of propaganda maybe? Well I’ll argue you can research yourself. Ask locals what they experienced personally when these centers have come in. Yes not all are ai however they definitely add to a growing problem. It gives me an uneasy feeling using ai and even typing this out publishing it on a platform that in fact adds to the issue. I see a lot of so called “artists” lean into ai basically rebranding their so called hand crafted title into ai slop and no one is the wiser. The only way you can tell is I know people will get bent for pointing it out. So much so I’ve already been ridiculed and blocked by a few “brands” that felt they needed to defend it. Times are a changin I get it but being aware of what’s going on may force guardrails to be put in place which is desperately needed before it’s too late. In this AI race no one wins because you can fucking eat ai.