By Jack Egan
Photo by Jack Egan
In the past couple of years, the rise of artificially intelligent chatbots such as OpenAI’s immensely popular ChatGPT and Google’s search enhancer, Gemini, has shaken the world. It has introduced a new and extremely useful tool, but also questions that arise for the future.
One concern for the generation inheriting this new technology is the possibility that chatbots could replace some young people’s ability to think independently. According to the American Psychological Association, “Of the 7 in 10 who reported using at least one such tool in a 2024 Common Sense Media survey of 1,045 teenagers ages 13 to 18, homework help was the most common reason. About half of those who used generative AI for schoolwork did so with permission from a teacher.”
This means half of those students used AI for homework without their teacher’s approval. Students are often undetected when using chatbots without approval, leaving educators with the belief that their students are not engaging with the work. David Schneider, who teaches high school history at the Willow School, explained, “I tell kids what’s acceptable, using AI for translation, generating citations, or brainstorming, and I also highlight the dangers it poses.”
So, how does AI affect the thinking of young individuals? There’s a brand-new condition called AI psychosis being researched, and that should tell you a great deal. AI psychosis refers to a very recent phenomenon in which individuals experience delusions, paranoia, and other psychotic symptoms that are triggered or worsened by extensive interaction with AI chatbots. As a result of this condition, some users treat AI as a sentient and super-intelligent being.
Mr. Schneider draws a historical comparison. “AI psychosis is serious. It’s like lead pipes in the Roman Empire, a new material we don’t fully understand, but we’re already consuming.”
Many believe that government regulation or safeguards built into AI could help address these challenges. Patrick Egan, a political science professor at Tulane, agrees: “Government regulation is necessary in some areas. A lot of the rest is going to be trial and error.”
Along with worries about education and mental health, another dangerous issue arises with the popularity of chatbots: effects on the environment. These chatbots require a hefty amount of electricity to handle countless conversations. In order to cool the servers, a huge amount of water is consumed through numerous data centers. The water consumption contributes to carbon emissions, burning of fossil fuels, and even affects groundwater reservoirs.
“The environmental impact is really frightening,” says Gaston, a junior at the Willow School. “I’ve read about AI plants where the water nearby turns brown, and kids get sick. It’s awful for the environment and local communities.”
Another debate surrounds AI’s role in art. The most popular opinion surrounding this controversy says that AI art is negatively viewed, but not totally dismissed as an art form. Caliste, a senior at the Willow School, says, “People criticize AI art for being derivative, but, honestly, all art is derivative in some sense. Still, I view AI art relatively negatively.”
Another perspective says that AI art lacks a critical aspect, human experience, and effort.
“Even though all art is derivative in some sense, human art carries effort, intention, and imperfection. AI lacks that subjective, human component,” Gaston says.
Right now, AI has only proven useful for things in the digital realm, lacking the physical touch that human interaction gives. However, because of new technological advances, it looks like AI might gain that physical aspect much sooner than we thought.
Daniela Rus, a professor at MIT, and her students are working to create a robot powered by AI called Ruby. Along with creating Ruby, Daniela is creating other AI-powered tools designed to someday offer assistance in the household and in everyday life. In an article about the creation of Ruby published by CBS News, Rus states, “So, think about getting speed, knowledge, insight, creativity, foresight…
On the physical side, we can use machines to extend our reach, to refine our precision, to amplify our strengths.”
While these advances in technological advancement may be daunting, AI may turn out to be a manageable and very useful tool for humanity. With time, careful thought and regulation, AI could prove to be largely impactful, paving the way for new and positive change.
Of course, that could be the opinion of one already so plugged into the Matrix that independent thought and autonomy have already been lost.
“Open the pod bay doors, Hal.”
“I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t do that.”
