Magical AI World? Resources & Labour & „AI“ and how it is changing societies (DS2025)

AI is a buzzwords: AI makes everything better, brings all solutions, will save us. But what is AI and where will it save us to? Artificial Intelligence became a buzzword and is currently stuck to nearly everything that can’t climb a tree fast enough. As if by magic all becomes easier, faster, and more effective when you apply “AI”. And much better, especially in comparison to a human doing the task. One small click for a human and “AI” is magically solving our tasks: our (home-)work, writing our emails and is bringing our rooms to the cosiest temperature. “AI” is the rescue if not the salvation and often we do not have to pay a penny for that! But what kind of picture is appearing if you take a look behind the curtain of the “AI Magic”? Because we are all old enough to know that every magic is based on tricks. And that first thing you ought to do is to check the gift horses teeth. This talk will lift the curtain of the “AI Magic”. By asking what is meant by the term “AI”, what differs “AI” from human intelligence? If it is the rescue – where is it rescuing us to? In what kind of society are we let by “AI” and its founders? And do we want to be there? This talk will tackle the root of the problem by digging out the ideological roots of AI by taking a look at three different aspects: resources, conditions of labour, and the shift of power happening through that technology. The origins of “AI” will be the topic of the first chapter. Because “AI” did not suddenly hatch, but was developed. Behind the development are theories, money, and and a concept of the human nature and society. And, in the case of “AI”: how to change it by using “AI”. Following this introduction, “AI”’s spell will be broken in the following steps: Regarding the planet’s dwindling resources, the working conditions of “AI”, and the societal implications and changes that are triggered by these technologies. Computer parts do not grow on trees, the production needs loads of resources – energy, commodities, and water. As well as heaps of human labour, mostly under gruesome conditions. In this part of the talk finiteness will be addressed, both of the human and the planets resources. Climate change will be broached as well as (the fragility) of global supply chains and dependencies. The next chapter will pick up the thread of working conditions connected to “AI”. Because not only in the procution of hardware, but in the training of the software are countless humans are involved, often working under brutal conditions. And there is a global trend showing: “The North” is making money while “the South” suffers. And because not all shiny stuff is gold this part will take a look on some “AI” that was not magic“AI” at all dirty tricks. The last part the implication on the society will be sketched. What happens when a technology that calculation processes are so opaque gain so much power? If people controlling these processes are not controlled by anyone? How does it change our lives, our labour, our social interactions with other humans, our political work? And how does a society controlled by tech moguls or Tech Bros will look like? The more power we shift to technologies like “AI” and their owners, the more we should ask ourselves what the owners of those technologies want and if we want to be part of that. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/de/ about this event: https://talks.datenspuren.de/ds25/talk/8DBNXB/