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[-] 58008@lemmy.world 223 points 3 weeks ago

At least they have an AI-free option, as annoying as it is to have to opt into it.

On a related note, it's hilarious to me that the Ecosia search engine has AI built in. Like, I don't think planting any number of trees is going to offset the damage AI has done and will do to the planet.

[-] Magnum@infosec.pub 63 points 3 weeks ago

lol what? Do they have some kind of statement addressing that?

[-] Deckname@olio.cafe 53 points 3 weeks ago

Yes they addressed it here. its kind of understandable given that they want to exist and everyone else has AI... But companies... At least you can turn it off.

[-] wewbull@feddit.uk 39 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

At this point, not having AI would be a selling point.

[-] Magnum@infosec.pub 31 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I wish they would have talked about how many trees you need to offset an ecosia AI search

[-] Resonosity@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 weeks ago

And make AI opt-in rather than opt-out so Ecosia can educate their users

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 8 points 3 weeks ago

I want to know what economic forces are making it so that having AI, which costs money and very few users actually want, such a forgone conclusion. Who is paying them?

[-] mghackerlady@leminal.space 6 points 3 weeks ago

Investors who bought into the hype and the middle managers who are scared of being fired by them

[-] Jason2357@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago

All these MBAs that learned about the advantage of first movers in school and have so little domain knowledge they operate 100% on “we just cant be late to the table”

[-] Dojan@pawb.social 2 points 3 weeks ago

Climate intelligence. Gods, excuse me while I go fetch my skeleton that was ejected from my body due to the cringe.

[-] Mwa@thelemmy.club 38 points 3 weeks ago

someone tell them AI isnt good for the environment

[-] NewDay@piefed.social 6 points 3 weeks ago

Ecosia produces its own green solar energy. According to them, they produce twice as much as they consume. The AI is still shit, because it is just ChatGPT.

[-] morto@piefed.social 3 points 3 weeks ago

Reducing the albedo of some area just to disperse the captured energy for no utility (ai) is still harmful to the environment and contributes to earth's energy imbalance. Solar energy is great when it replaces fossil fuel emissions, not when it's just wasted.

[-] Mwa@thelemmy.club 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

hot take: this comment gives me a idea for them a opt-in AI powered entirely by solar energy if we solve the ethics problem first ofc.

[-] kevin2107@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

I don't get this argument when literally everything else is hundreds of times worse like lifestock and cars. Removing either one today would dramatically change the environment.

Do you drive a car or take any kind of transportation?

[-] sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago

Well, I don't know about that.

My swiss hoster just started offering AI and says that their AI infrastructure is 100 % powered by renewables and the waste heat is used for district heating.

You could argue that LLM training in itself used so much energy that you'll never be able to compensate for the damage, but I don't know. 🤷

[-] PixxlMan@lemmy.world 37 points 3 weeks ago

While good, you should always keep in mind that using renewables for this means that power can't be used for other purposes, meaning the difference has to be covered by other sources of energy. Always bear in mind that these things don't exist in a vaccum. The resources they use always mean resources aren't used elsewhere. At worst this would mean that new clean power is built to power a waste, and then old dirty power has to be used for everything else, instead of being replaced by clean energy.

[-] sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 weeks ago

That's actually a very good point, thanks!

[-] MBM@lemmings.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah that reminds me of the data centres hogging green energy that was meant for households

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 3 points 3 weeks ago
[-] sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

It fits their business structure and values and of course there's a good portion good faith on my end because I didn't check first hand.

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 1 points 3 weeks ago
[-] sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

Corps are run by people and people can run them with values. Our capitalist system encourages acting without values but it is not impossible to do so

[-] notthebees@reddthat.com 4 points 3 weeks ago

I'm just happy they give the option to turn off the ai overview as a setting.

[-] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, luckily it's very easy to turn off.

[-] Electricd@lemmybefree.net 1 points 3 weeks ago

Like, I don't think planting any number of trees is going to offset the damage AI has done and will do to the planet.

That’s true for pretty much everything, so not a real argument

this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2026
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