By: M. Gilchrist When we see the words AI and revolution, we think of robots and computers controlling the world. However, when talking about AI there is a much closer revolution and change that we are entering, and it is linked to the environment. It is no secret that in this past century our environmental situation has only gotten worse, from climate change to global warming. The world has been facing, one could argue, an existential challenge. With the start of AI and its increasing popularization, our environmental situation will only get worse.
Why does AI have such a big hold on climate change and global warming? Simply put, the AI that we use in our computers, at school, or at our workspace, is dependent on a vast amount of electricity to function. Nvidia, the company that runs the data centers of AI language models, have stated that they consume as much electricity as 1.3 million households in the US annually, or 14.384 GWh. As we increase the use of AI facilities the power demands will only become more burdensome in our already slowly decaying world. The environmental agency says current data center usage stands at around 460 terawatt hours in 2022. Which could increase to 620-1,050 TWh in 2026, equivalent to the energy demands of Sweden or Germany respectively. Google uses as much energy for AI each year as all the homes in Atlanta. All this energy powered for AI is mostly by burning coal and fossil fuels, meaning that AI could be the next massive and growing amount of global carbon emissions. Currently, the world is trying to become carbon neutral by 2050, an agreement set by the UN called the Paris Agreement, a goal yet to be reached. How will we achieve this goal with the burden of AI technology weighing us down, with its huge energy consumption? Will AI be effective and productive enough to warrant this amount of electricity usage? Although Microsoft, Google and OpenAI have said that they are trying to improve more and more AI and decreasing its effect on carbon emissions, as the world realizes how AI is taking a huge part on future environmental issues, its popularity might be impacted. Another example of this is cryptocurrency, which also uses the same amount of energy as the whole of Argentina. AI could, in the future, help with global warming and climate change. However, it is not yet ‘intelligent’ enough to support us in our journey of decreasing carbon emissions. The advance of artificial intelligence could lead to an 80% increase on carbon emissions. Is AI the begging of an environmentally friendly world or just the final nail in the coffin of our planet?
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By: I. Krakowiak One of the most disruptive global catastrophes in modern history, The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone around the world immensely. As we recover from this crisis, it is crucial to acknowledge the long-lasting and profound changes the epidemic has made in every single aspect of our lives. Many believe that the post-pandemic world is a mere return to “normal” life, when in reality we are re-sculpting the term as we go.
The pandemic served as a helpful and much-needed reminder of the importance of looking after our planet. Air pollution and environmental deterioration significantly decreased as a result of the abrupt, temporary slowdown in industrial activity. This provoked discussion on the critical topics of sustainability and climate change. Companies, governments and individuals are now adopting different methods of becoming greener, like sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy (solar panels, windmills, etc.), increase in policies that give value to sustainability, and advocating for environmental conservation. The world is changing, and so we change together for a greener future. One of the greatest shifts we had to adapt to was working in the comfort of our homes. As doors to schools, colleges, offices and other public spaces closed, we became guinea pigs for a huge worldwide experiment: the sudden change to remote work. This, which was considered a short-term change, has now become permanent in many places and industries. It does not have to be one or the other, many companies nowadays are allowing employees to do a blend of both, to suit what they prefer. There are many advantages to remote work: the flexibility, safety from virus exposure, and many people are now moving to small towns or the countryside since they no longer feel tied to the big cities to maintain their jobs. These advantages are great and globally recognized, however, there are disadvantages as well. Isolation, technical issues, a blurred boundary between work and personal life and increased screen fatigue are major reasons why some companies went back to being 100% in-person. Many people did not have computers or any sort of device that they could work, or worked jobs that were purely physical and could not be done online. The COVID-19 lockdown severely altered how we connect with people. We started to rely solely on screens for communication, via social media, texting, or video calls. While this technology allowed us to keep in touch during tough times of isolation, it also emphasized the importance of in-person interactions, and the effect one single hug has. So now, after the isolation, there is a larger appreciation for face-to-face communication and contact, and a stronger sense of community. We learned the importance of maintaining relationships, and now we as a society have implemented in our lives a healthy mix of digital and physical communication. In conclusion, the post-pandemic world is one of fresh starts. Obviously, the pandemic has presented colossal obstacles However, it gave us an opportunity to reflect on how we would like to shape our future. We as a society have the potential to live in a more sustainable, creative, inclusive and adaptable world. It is imperative that we keep the lessons learned in the pandemic in mind as we move forward into this new era: an era of new beginnings. By: M. Bitran Many times, I catch myself wondering how my life and those of people around me would be different if four years ago we hadn’t gone through a worldwide pandemic. If it weren’t for the pandemic, my life would probably have followed a very predictable path. For those two years I would have gone to school, seen the same people, and followed the same routines. However, suddenly everything changed, the world shut down and our lives transformed completely.
We all had to adapt to a completely new life, a life so different, no one had ever experienced anything like it. This life brought us many challenges and difficulties we had to face. Most of us were very young, and for the first time, had to figure things out on our own. And most importantly, these problems brought us opportunities and new beginnings. Some people had to close their businesses, some closed their restaurants and others were unable to work their corporate jobs, but overcoming all of this is what gave them these opportunities and what made them who they are today. The pandemic taught me to figure things out by myself, it taught me that I didn’t need someone explaining things to me. And even though we all think of the pandemic as a time of isolation and separation, spending all day long in video calls with my friends brought me even more close to them. Now, going back, although I do many times wonder how my life could be different, I can’t help but appreciate the new beginnings it brought me. Going back might have been strange and even somewhat difficult. It might have seemed as if we had gone back to our lives as it was before, but we all know that this wasn’t really how it worked. For a long time, we had to take tests before seeing each other, we had to wear masks and we couldn’t be close to others either. But with all of this, I am sure, that this “new life” we had to get through is what made me who I am today, and I am sure that Covid brought out a version of myself that I definitely would not have seen if things remained the way they were. By: V. Srur As time passes, more technology is being introduced into the world. New generations might view technology as a strong factor in their childhood lives even more intensely than the past generation.
This generation now has access to social media, an open selection of online textbooks and an infinity of ways of retail available with just one click of a button. With the new beginnings of technology, younger kids ages 3-12 are receiving a high influence from the internet and their devices. Technology is part of the process that we call development. Good or bad, it has made present life easier but its flexibility can be harmful if not controlled well. 85% of kids who are exposed to the internet can face procrastination, addiction and burnout which can affect their life greatly. This generation can be a new beginning to how we view the internet as a community as well, I think that we need to be mindful about what people say on the internet as younger kids tend to take at heart topics which are not to be discussed with such openness, especially when it comes to self-comparison and maturity. Not all can be negative, the new generation even from a younger age is practising a large amount of stimulation and can be very good at multi-tasking. Who knows, maybe the new generation can find new innovations with AI being introduced than any other generation ever. They have the power to further increase their IQ’s for the better as they have been connected at a younger age. In the past century the average IQ of Americans has gone up by about 30 points. This is a very significant figure and amounts to about a 95% percent increase in intelligence. Nothing is for certain; I hope new generations can serve for the greater good and use their learning capabilities to their advantage so the new beginning to artificial intelligence and social media plans can be a start of an innovative future. By: S. Dreicon Changes can be a hard and difficult, especially when you’ve been used to something and suddenly must let it go of it. But you can also benefit a lot of things from transformations! Changes must occur in our life at some point, so it’s important for us to mature and learn more about different things with new experiences.
When growing older, more challenges appear in your daily life, changing the way you view and experience things in a certain way. Bills, jobs and other things will start to emerge, being now your mission in life. Missing old days, in which you could just live without having to worry that much about prices and being overloaded with work will be very common. But it’s important to look back and be proud of how much you achieved to get here, as success is something you build, with time, effort and resilience. Being resilient and living the present joyfully will just make it easier to forget changes and your old life. Doing things differently can be a big challenge but overcoming it and not running away from changes will increase your happiness and well-being, though it’s not easy and it takes time until you are used to it. Choosing the right path and making decisions will always lead to a differentiation in your life, making it more special. Being open minded and always ready for new beginnings is a perfect mindset for a good restart. Making a change today and learning from it for your own health is the best choice for you! By: A. Lotufo Change is extremely terrifying. Whether it’s new beginnings, or things which are ending, I’m sure we’ve all had a situation where we were fearing the unknown.
So, while searching on how to begin this article, I came across a rather inspiring figure. A cognitive scientist who had not only done an incredibly interesting TED Talk, but created a podcast, “A Slight Change of Plans”. Maya Shankar interviewed people around the world who have had unexpected changes and setbacks to greater understand how we respond to change. Maya Shankar began her journey as cognitive scientist after suffering an injury which prevented her from playing the violin. She would play violin every day after school, waking up at 4 in the morning to go to Julliard on weekends. She was being mentored by an incredible musician, and one day, while playing, she heard a pop in her finger. Little did she know, that would change everything. In her TED Talk, “Why change is so scary — and how to unlock its potential” she talks about the “identity paralysis” some people go through. After not being able to play the violin, she didn’t know who she was anymore. She then told us about other people she knew who had gone through the same thing. For her podcast, she interviewed a woman named Christine Ha. If you’re a MasterChef fan, you might know who she’s talking about. Christine Ha was diagnosed with a condition in her 20s which made her gradually lose her vision. At the time, she was learning to make her favourite dishes from her childhood. She was extremely frustrated every time she couldn’t cook an egg without burning it, cut an orange correctly, and more. But she eventually learned that cooking used much more senses than she thought. She learned to use her sense of smell and the sounds of the sizzling pan to her ability and to make sure that she wasn’t getting anything wrong. When she did get things right, they became a glorifying achievement. Christine eventually found it more of a thrilling challenge, rather than a chore, to cook. She decided to go on to MasterChef (Season 3) and she won. Now, she owns 3 restaurants in Texas and is known as “The Blind Cook”. Both Christine and Maya could not have become the successful people they are now if they hadn’t been faced with their changes. Christine couldn’t have become a MasterChef winner and owner of 3 restaurants if she hadn’t found cooking more of a thrill, which wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t lost her vision. Maya couldn’t have started a podcast, become a cognitive scientist and had a TED Talk if it wasn’t for the injury she suffered when she was 15. In her TED Talk, Maya talks about the 3 questions she has found which turn scary changes into evolution tools. The first question is “How might this change what you’re capable of?” Christine wouldn’t have become an incredible cook if she hadn’t experienced her condition. She used change as a tool to become even better than before. The second question is “How might this change what you value?” Sometimes we are valuing the wrong thing, and when we turn to what we really should be valuing, happiness falls into place. The third and final question is “How might this change how you define yourself?” Maya used to think of the violin as a part of her, as who she was. After suffering her injury, she became a different person and the way she thought of herself changed as well. So, in the end, change can be utilized for so many things. Change can be a chance for you to develop and have an even better experience. So, maybe change isn’t all fear. Maybe we are looking at change the wrong way. Maybe change might be a crucial step for us to becoming the best, happiest versions of ourselves. By: I. Papa It is essential in our lives to learn to adapt and change. With change, opportunities for new beginnings spark and it gives you chances to flourish even more as a human. However, although it may seem easy to appreciate these changes, it is extremely challenging to put yourself out of your comfort zone, although equally necessary. Therefore, here are a few practical strategies on how to approach new beginnings with a positive mindset:
By implementing these tips, you will construct a much more proactive mindset, making any process of modification much more smooth, productive and rewarding. |
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