[seu]

> And I've vibe coded entire ephemeral apps just to find a single bug because why not - code is suddenly free, ephemeral, malleable, discardable after single use. Vibe coding will terraform software and alter job descriptions.

I'm not super up-to-date on all that's happening in AI-land, but in this quote I can find something that most techno-enthusiast seem to have decided to ignore: no, code is not free. There are immense resources (energy, water, materials) that go into these data centers in order to produce this "free" code. And the material consequences are terribly damaging to thousands of people. With the further construction of data centers to feed this free video coding style, we're further destroying parts of the world. Well done, AGI loverboys.

[Hendrikto]

You know what uses roughly 80 times more water in the US alone than water used by AI data centers world wide? Corn.

[raddan]

Assuming your fact is true, that corn merely uses an order of magnitude or two more water than AI is surprising, given the utility of corn. It feeds the entire US (hundreds of millions of people), is used as animal feed (thus also feeding us), and is widely exported to feed other people. I the spirit of the “I think”s and “I believe”s of this blog post, I think that corn has a lot more utility than AI.

[Hendrikto]

> It feeds the entire US (hundreds of millions of people), is used as animal feed (thus also feeding us), and is widely exported to feed other people.

Not really. Most corn grown in the US isn’t even fit for consumption. It is primarily used for fermenting bioethanol.

[daveguy]

Source?

[Hendrikto]

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/corn-and-other-feed-gr...

[raddan]

The report you link says that 45% is used for ethanol. A lot, but not “most.”

[dwaltrip]

Can you provide numbers relative to things many of us already do?

- drive to the store or to work

- take a shower

- eat meat

- fly on vacation

And so on... thanks!

[Jaxan]

Of those things you mention, I only take showers (but not even everyday). But maybe I’m an outlier.

[daveguy]

> drive to the store or to work

If you don't do that, and are a homesteader, then yes. You are a very small minority outlier. (Assuming you aren't ordering supplies delivered instead of driving to the store.

> Eat meat.

Yes, not eating meat is in the minority.

> Fly on vacation.

So, don't vacation, walk to vacation, or drive to vacation? 1/3 are also consumptive.

It seems you are either a very significant outlier, or you're being daft. I'm curious which. Would you mind clarifying?

[Jaxan]

I do my commute with my bicycle. Very common in the Netherlands.

For holidays, we did a cycling holiday with our children. They loved it!

I don’t at all feel like an outlier, many friends do similar things.

[daveguy]

Thank you for the clarification! I'm impressed. I've always been envious of the bicycle friendliness of roads in the Netherlands. Here in the US stroads and poor bike infrastructure still reigns. It really depends on the region.

We have a backward orange fool running things for gems like this: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46357881

But it's just as much local political issues as national around here.

[monkaiju]

Whats the point of this question? These are things (some) people do while existing as humans, not sure how thats relevant? The AI is consuming vast resources while note existing as a human, it doesnt get some innate privilege to consume some amount of resources like we do.

[dwaltrip]

AI is a tool I use while existing as a human. I’d like to know the relative downsides.

[fourside]

My guess is that “free” is meant in terms of the old definition where you’re not having to pay someone to create and maintain it. But yes, it’s important to realize there really is a cost here and one that can’t just be captured by a dollar amount.