58008Mar 14

Do you feel that use of generative AI and LLMs is ever justifiable? If so, when and where?. Of not, why not?

https://lemmy.world/post/44235242

Do you feel that use of generative AI and LLMs is ever justifiable? If so, when and where?. Of not, why not? - Lemmy.World

You can take “justifiable” to mean whatever you feel it means in this context. e.g. Morally, artistically, environmentally, etc.

Show threadawmwritesMar 14
My current list of reasons why you shouldn’t use generative AI/LLMs A) because of the environmental impacts and massive amount of water used to cool data centers news.mit.edu/…/explained-generative-ai-environmen… B) because of the negative impacts on the health and lives of people living near data centers www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8gy7lv448o C) because they’re plagiarism machines that are incapable of creating anything new and are often wrong …upenn.edu/…/does-ai-limit-our-creativity/ plagiarismtoday.com/…/why-ai-has-a-plagiarism-pro… D) because using them negatively affects artists and creatives and their ability to maintain their livelihoods www.sciencedirect.com/…/S2713374523000316 insideradio.com/…/article_403564f7-08ce-45a1-9366… E) because people who use AI show significant cognitive impairments compared to people who don’t www.media.mit.edu/…/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ time.com/…/ai-chatgpt-google-learning-school/ F) because using them might break your brain and drive you to psychosis theweek.com/…/spiralism-ai-religion-cult-chatbot mental.jmir.org/2025/1/e85799 G) because Zelda Williams asked you not to www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r0erqk18jo www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-07/…/105863964 H) because OpenAI is helping Trump bomb schools in Iran www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/…/88983682007/ I) because RAM costs have skyrocketed because OpenAI has used money it doesn’t have to purchase RAM from Nvidia that currently doesn’t exist to stock data centers that also don’t currently exist, inconveniencing everyone for what amounts to speculative construction theverge.com/…/pc-ram-shortage-pricing-spike-news J) because Sam Altman says that his endgame is to rent knowledge back to you at a cost gizmodo.com/sam-altman-says-intelligence-will-be-… K) because some AI bro is going to totally ignore all of this and ask an LLM to write a rebuttal rather than read any of it.
Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact

MIT News explores the environmental and sustainability implications of generative AI technologies and applications.

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Show threadauraithxMar 14

Gish gallop of shite.

A) overblown, and that argues for cleaner power, better cooling, and more efficient models

B) regulation failure

C) incorrect, they have made discoveries that humans have been unable to. All human knowledge is built off previous knowledge.

D) the enemy is both weak and strong. If they don’t produce anything good then the people who are losing their jobs can’t have either, right?

E) small study based on one task which people are misrepresenting. The actual evidence shows it makes people smarter as they shift priorities.

F) only for vulnerable people. Better safeguards are needed for the weak minded.

G) argument against using people’s likeness not ai

H) use an open source Chinese model

I) market distortion problem, not a principled reason no one should use the technology any more than GPU shortages made all graphics work illegitimate.

J) see (H)

K) try one argument next time. Your best one, maybe people would be more open to wasting time.

Show threadbright_side_

Some good and valid input to the discussion.

I’d be interested in E) “the actual evidence”. Got a link?

Mar 14 at 10:22amWeb
Show threadauraithxMar 14

Yes as I had this discussion with someone the other week.

The effect of ChatGPT on students’ learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking: insights from a meta-analysis

A peer-reviewed meta-analysis of 51 studies found that ChatGPT has a large positive effect on students’ learning performance, and moderate positive effects on learning perception and higher-order thinking skills (like analysis and synthesis) across educational contexts.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Students’ Academic Development

Research published in the journal Education Sciences reports that AI in educational contexts can lead to personalized learning, improved academic outcomes, and increased engagement, with many students reporting enhanced learning efficiency.

Artificial intelligence in education: A systematic literature review

Ai tools support problem-solving skills, collaboration, and instructional quality in meaningful ways.

The effect of ChatGPT on students’ learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking: insights from a meta-analysis - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

As a new type of artificial intelligence, ChatGPT is becoming widely used in learning. However, academic consensus regarding its efficacy remains elusive. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ChatGPT in improving students’ learning performance, learning perception, and higher-order thinking through a meta-analysis of 51 research studies published between November 2022 and February 2025. The results indicate that ChatGPT has a large positive impact on improving learning performance (g = 0.867) and a moderately positive impact on enhancing learning perception (g = 0.456) and fostering higher-order thinking (g = 0.457). The impact of ChatGPT on learning performance was moderated by type of course (QB = 64.249, P < 0.001), learning model (QB = 76.220, P < 0.001), and duration (QB = 55.998, P < 0.001); its effect on learning perception was moderated by duration (QB = 19.839, P < 0.001); and its influence on the development of higher-order thinking was moderated by type of course (QB = 7.811, P < 0.05) and the role played by ChatGPT (QB = 4.872, P < 0.05). This study suggests that: (1) appropriate learning scaffolds or educational frameworks (e.g., Bloom’s taxonomy) should be provided when using ChatGPT to develop students’ higher-order thinking; (2) the broad use of ChatGPT at various grade levels and in different types of courses should be encouraged to support diverse learning needs; (3) ChatGPT should be actively integrated into different learning modes to enhance student learning, especially in problem-based learning; (4) continuous use of ChatGPT should be ensured to support student learning, with a recommended duration of 4–8 weeks for more stable effects; (5) ChatGPT should be flexibly integrated into teaching as an intelligent tutor, learning partner, and educational tool. Finally, due to the limited sample size for learning perception and higher-order thinking, and the moderately positive effect, future studies with expanded scope should further explore how to use ChatGPT more effectively to cultivate students’ learning perception and higher-order thinking.

Nature
Show threadbright_side_Mar 14
That’s very interesting, thanks!
Show threadZos_KiaMar 14

This seems about right. Anecdotally I never learned as much as I do since I use AI. It’s crazy good at explaining stuff with exactly the angle you require according to your level and learning style.

I’ve done some hardware hacking, built my own Linux distro for a project, got way better at administering my home server.

The most fun I’ve had is to try and locate the rights to an obscure science fiction short story for a podcast I want to make. This led me to contact a few editors, library archivists, and a couple of noted literature professors. Genuine fun and connections, with the AI helping me navigate mountains of information, the legal aspects and also the cultural differences between the US and UK publishing scenes.

All of this is just in the last few months, it would have taken me years pre-ai or more realistically I would have given up before getting anywhere.