Value in, garbage out: on AI art and hegemony

Refik Anadol's AI artworks, including the 2023 "Winds of Yawanawa" NFT collection and the 2024 "Large Nature Model: Coral" shown at the UN, are presented as environmental projects, but the article argues that their energy costs contradict those claims. The article says AI-powered internet searches use around 100 times the energy of a standard Google search, and that training GPT-3 produces a carbon footprint equivalent to driving 112 gasoline-powered cars for a year. It also argues that Anadol's promises of future benefits evade present responsibility. When asked about this contradiction, Anadol said he is proud to use "renewable" technology and described his critics as "lazy, not well-researched people."