Issue #111 - The AI Issue 🤖
The trouble with AI… 💻 | Can AI help businesses become more energy efficient? 🤖 | What's Next In Energy Innovation? 💡 | 5 businesses, 1 question 🤔 | Words | Tunes | More
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The trouble with AI… 💻
Welcome to Issue #111 of The Backbone - the fortnightly newsletter from Bionic.
It’s only been a couple of years since ChatGPT went public, and already it feels like we can’t move away from AI-generated content.
It’s in our social feeds, search engines, emails, messaging apps, music streaming platforms, online shopping - it’s everywhere. Even in places we never asked for it and probably don’t need it.
And this rapid growth is coming at a cost. It’s making us stupid and killing the planet. No, really.
The environmental impact of AI
AI and energy consumption are increasingly intertwined, with the growth of AI technologies driving significant increases in energy demand, particularly in data centres.
While AI can offer solutions for energy efficiency in other sectors (more on that in our 🗞 READ section below), the energy needed for training and running AI models themselves is substantial and growing rapidly. This is raising concerns about the environmental impact of AI and the capacity of energy grids to meet the increasing demand.
To put things into context, a single AI image can consume about as much energy as fully charging a smartphone, according to MIT Technology Review.
AI data centres also use a lot of water. Water scarcity and its impact on data centres is a growing concern in parts of the United States, particularly in regions already facing drought.
Ironically, the biggest tech companies choose to build data centres in some of the world’s driest areas. This is because data centres need to be built inland, where low humidity reduces the risk of metal corrosion, while seawater also causes corrosion if used for cooling.
Is AI really making us more stupid?
Large language models (LLMs) are artificial intelligence systems trained on massive amounts of text to understand and generate human-like language. Things like ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity - those apps that can answer questions, write stories, explain concepts, and summarise articles in a fraction of the time it would take a human.
As more of us become increasingly time poor, it’s no wonder we turn to those apps to try and claw some of it back.
But a study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that a reliance on this tech is eroding our critical thinking skills and could even lead to cognitive decline (a noticeable decrease in mental abilities, including thinking, memory, concentration, and other brain functions, beyond what is typically expected with normal aging).
Although not a huge sample size - 54 people were divided into three groups and asked to write four essays - the findings showed that those who used ChatGPT had the “weakest” brain connectivity and remembered the least about their essays.
The essays produced by this group were all very similar and lacked original thought.
The second group could use online search engines for research, while the third group had to rely solely on existing knowledge. This final group was the most engaged, showing both cognitive engagement and memory retention.
You can read more about the study in Time.
All of the above was written by a human.
And thanks to everyone who voted in last issue’s poll - 88% answered NO to our question “Do you feel this Labour government has been good for your business during its first 12 months in power?”
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🗞 READ
Can AI help businesses become more energy efficient? 🤖
Did you know that around 30% of all energy from businesses across the UK is wasted? If you’re at a loss about how to be more energy efficient, this guide explores the role AI can play in energy management. It also offers practical examples of how machine learning can be a game-changer for businesses looking to be more sustainable.
What's Next In Energy Innovation? 💡
Have you heard of floating solar technology or hybrid renewable systems? Let’s take a closer look at new energy innovations designed to promote green energy and sustainability. Our guide will also explain how your business may benefit from this new tech.
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🗣 SHOUTOUT
#BionicBusinessStory - 5 businesses, 1 question 🤔
Small businesses are usually an integral part of the community. Anyone who has regular customers knows just how important a part you play in their lives. For this week’s 5 businesses, 1 question, we thought we’d find out how those special connections are made…
Bionic - How do you create a special connection with your customers?
"I think about what I look for when I’m shopping. I always like quick delivery, so The Social Club’s postage is really fast, usually reaching the customer within 48 hours. The service is very personable too. I want to give the customer the wow factor at every touchpoint.” Jo Tiller - Social Club Clothing 🙂
“Our (fictional serial killer) character Jack really enjoys messaging the customers in character rather than just replying to emails in a standard way. It’s the little details. When people come through and appreciate those things, that makes us feel like we’re achieving what we want.” Gary Stocker - Screamworks 😱
“It’s important to make it an experience to remember, you know? Some horror fans will do a ‘scare tour’; they’ll go around the county to do all the scare parks in the UK. ‘FEAR’ is unique and we’re always trying to come up with new ideas for our attractions.” Lizzie Arkley - AtmosFEAR 💀
“By helping them. People come to me with questions they want answers to and often feel they are in a place where they need help of some kind but have no one to turn to.” Untapped Potential Tarot Readings 🃏
“By creating personal art. A large part of my business is creating family portraits. Many times, the artwork is formed from multiple images of different people in the family, some of whom have passed on. Unlike typical portraits, I aim to create ones that look like they would be found in a family album taken when the subjects weren’t aware their photo was taken, creating an authentic moment.” Jillian Kelshaw - Jillian Kelshaw Art 🎨
Want to read more small business stories? Head over to Bionic 🦾
📊 BUSINESS
Get your business costs sorted 💷
Bionic is the comparison site for your small business. We compare a range of business essentials to help you save time, money, and hassle.
Our tech-enabled team will answer all your questions in simple terms and help you find the best deal on business energy, insurance, phone, broadband, or finance. No jargon. No-fuss. #BeABionicBusiness 🦾
🎧 LISTEN
Playlist 🎶
It’s time for the periodic review of the #feraltrolleys 🛒 playlist, which is now up to 240 songs - about 15 hours of listening. New additions include, Credence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young, Crazy Horse, The Specials, The Lumineers, Everlast, and loads more.
Podcast 🎙
Another podcast from the vaults as we bring back our recommendation for Behind the Bastards - a deep dive into the worst humans in history to expose the bizarre realities of their lives. This is getting another shoutout because the recent episodes on Robert Maxwell and Pol Pot (leader of the Khmer Rouge, not the first winner of Britain's Got Talent) are outstanding.
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🚫 STOP
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