Environmental Costs and Human Labor: The Hidden Reality Behind AI Development
At the Canary Islands International Environmental Film Festival, philosopher Eurídice Cabañes warned that the rapid development of AI relies on unsustainable resource extraction and exploitative labor, urging a shift toward decentralized, eco-friendly technological alternatives.
The current race to lead the development of artificial intelligence often ignores the physical reality behind the digital world. As discussed at the Canary Islands International Environmental Film Festival (Ficmec) during its Playing Green sessions, we cannot separate these technologies from an economic model that relies on resource extraction, threatening both our environment and human independence.
Technology philosopher Eurídice Cabañes, who led these discussions, warns that the issue isn't just how well algorithms work, but who holds the power behind them. Currently, decision-making is shifting away from individuals toward systems run by massive corporations focused almost entirely on profit. This reliance on technology is supported by a physical infrastructure—including servers and underwater cables—that requires vast amounts of water for cooling and leaves a significant carbon footprint. Projects like Your cloud dries my river are now working to bring these hidden costs to light.
The festival also highlighted that the term "artificial" in AI often hides the precarious human labor required to make it work. Much like the exploitation seen in the video game industry, where workers in countries like Kenya or China perform repetitive tasks under poor conditions to serve markets in the Global North, AI relies on a vast network of people to train its systems. Furthermore, companies profit from data generated by everyday users; for instance, CAPTCHA tests and augmented reality apps turn our daily interactions into tools for large-scale data collection.
Despite these challenges, the Playing Green initiative avoids pessimism, instead offering a "pedagogy of hope." By exploring alternatives—such as using shiitake mushroom mycelium to create computer components—the project suggests a shift toward technology that is decentralized and sustainable rather than resource-depleting. Ultimately, Cabañes invites us to rethink AI: should it remain a tool for corporate control, or can we use critical thinking and the power of play to reshape it into something that truly serves life?