5 minute read
This topic has been on my mind for quite some time. But I’ve been pretty nervous to speak up. AI.
I honestly have a fear of it… or rather, our collective future if we keep using it at this rapid rate.
I WORRY ABOUT WHAT IT’S DOING TO FARMLAND…
Farms are being bought to put datacenters on because they need large, flat tracks of land that are easy to build on.
You know what else large flat tracks of land are good for? Growing crops and raising livestock (and pasture for horses).
There is only so much usable farmland in the US - 880 million acres. It’s now estimated that data centers occupy up to 840,000 acres in the US.
Farms are now fighting on two fronts - urban sprawl and AI data centers.
I WORRY ABOUT THE RESOURCES IT TAKES…
Did you know - 1 chatbox question uses a 16 oz. waterbottle?
You might be thinking, “Who cares? Water is a renewable resource.”
While it’s renewable, it’s actually a limited resource. This article clip explains why:
(This is also why land out west has “water rights” and limits the # of horses a property can have.)
THE ENERGY IT EXPENDS AND THE IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE…
When I read these, I ask myself, “What ever happened to going green?”
AND WHAT IT’S DOING TO US, AS HUMANS…
Just because AI is fun and easy doesn’t mean it’s what’s best for our minds and our planet.
I remember a childhood before cellphones and (easily accessible) internet. I remember dial-up, and being terrified in my grandpa’s basement, hearing the awful screeching ring while we waited to connect to the internet.
Now, my boys will grow up in a world where they will never know if a simple video is real or not.
I know the state of the world is progress and things are always changing. But I find myself asking, “at what cost”?
None of us knew the impact AI had in the beginning.
But the more I become aware and learn, the more I can’t turn a blind eye to the real-life impact it has. I find myself using it rarely now.
And yet, I still fall subject to the pressure to use it more and more. I am inundated with ads to use it, and the world buzzes with talk of it.
I feel pressure to implement an AI tool in our software so we don’t ‘fall behind’. I wonder if AI will be able to replace us with the press of a button someday soon.
As equestrians, it’s our responsibility to stop and question our AI usage.
If data centers continue to use farmland, where will we keep our horses? Where will we grow our hay? How will we care for them?
We need to be mindful of the impact it has on the world, and the future of horses.
As equine business owners, we don’t need it to generate our content ideas - we need to connect with our clients.
Speak to their problems and desires - you don’t need AI to do it for you.
Be a human.
Write from your heart.
Connect with others.
Post your real-life photos.
Tell your unique story.
And when you do need to use it, use it as an assistant to help you polish what you’ve created. Rely on yourself and your own creativity again. Stop giving away your voice.
For better or worse, AI is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere.
All I ask if for us to think twice before using it. And for the love of the horse, use it responsibly.
