AI’s Drawbacks: Environmental Damage, Bad Benchmarks, Outsourcing Thinking

Alex Kantrowitz • May 14, 2025

Alex Kantrowitz

About

I host Big Technology Podcast and publish videos from the show and YouTube exclusives here on this channel. Please like and subscribe!

Latest Posts

AI Is Upending Law. Is That A Sign For The Rest Of Us? — With Melia Russell

Alex Kantrowitz

SAP's Muhammad Alam: AI's Real Employment Impact, Path To Genuine ROI, Is Hype Good?

Alex Kantrowitz

AI Device Wars Heat Up, RIP Metaverse?, Netflix Acquires Warner Brothers

Alex Kantrowitz

How An AI Model Learned To Be Bad — With Evan Hubinger And Monte MacDiarmid

Alex Kantrowitz

AI-Efficient Computing Must-Haves

AI-recommended products based on this video

10.1 Inch Touch Portable Monitor IPS Screen 1366x768P 60Hz 400 Brightness 99% sRGB HDMI USB-C Monitors Switch for Xbox PS3/4/5 Laptop Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Mini Touch Screen

(1)

$99.99

FREE delivery Mon, Aug 11

ELECROW 8 Inch Portable Monitor, 1280x800 Mini HD Display with Built-in Speakers, USB Powered, Non-Touch LCD Screen for Raspberry Pi, PC, Laptop, Jetson Nano, Game Consoles

(49)

$117.29$102.21

$6.86 delivery Thu, Aug 14

7 Inch Portable Monitor Touchscreen HD 1024x600 LED Display Dual HDMI Port Small Monitor for PC Raspberry Pi Laptop Computer Xbox PS4/5 Switch Built-in Speakers

(61)

$68.99

FREE delivery Tue, Aug 12

BrosTrend 1800Mbps WiFi 6 Linux WiFi Adapter for PC and Raspberry Pi 2+, Long Range USB WiFi Dongle Linux for Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Zorin, Windows 11/10, Dual Band Wireless Antenna

(288)

$54.14

FREE delivery Sun, Jun 22

Anker USB C Cable, [2-Pack, 6 ft] Type C Charger Premium Nylon USB Cable, USB A to Type C Charging Cable Fast Charge for Samsung Galaxy S10 S10+ / Note 8, LG V20 and Other USB C Charger (Black)

(103,365)

$13.49

5K+ bought in past month

Crucial X9 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Compatible with Windows, Mac, & Android, Reliable Storage for Games, Files, & Backups, Black - CT4000X9SSD902

(19,722)

$315.09

FREE delivery Tue, Jun 17

50+ bought in past month

Crucial X10 Pro 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 2100MB/s Read, 2000MB/s Write, 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Durable Storage for PC & Mac, for Professional Creators, Black - ‎CT4000X10PROSSD902

(2,557)

$358.93

FREE delivery Tue, Jun 17

50+ bought in past month

Crucial X9 Pro 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 1050MB/s Read & Write, 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Durable Storage for PC and Mac, for Professional Creators, Silver - ‎CT4000X9PROSSD902

(3,702)

$326.05$260.70

FREE delivery Tue, Jun 17

50+ bought in past month

Crucial T705 4TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 SSD - Up to 14,100 MB/s - Game Ready - Internal Solid State Drive (PC) - +1mo Adobe CC - CT4000T705SSD3

(2,172)

$599.11

FREE delivery Jun 17 - 18

Tablet, 10.36 inch Android 14 Tablet with Octa-core Processor 16GB RAM 128GB ROM 1TB Expansion, HD IPS Touchscreen, WiFi 6, BT 5.3, Dual Camera, Tablets 2025

(2,281)

$159.99$105.89

FREE delivery Wed, Aug 27

200+ bought in past month

KAMRUI AK1PLUS Mini PC W-11 Pro, 12th Gen N95 Processor (up to 3.4GHz), Mini Desktop Computers with 16GB RAM 512GB M.2 2.5" SSD, Mini Computer Support Dual 4K UHD for Home Business Office

(1,557)

$209.99

FREE delivery Sun, Aug 10

300+ bought in past month

Acer Swift X 14" FHD Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Home

(247)

$1,804.11

HP 17.3" FHD Laptop, AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Numeric Keyboard, 720p HD Webcam, WiFi, Windows 11 Pro, Silver, 32GB Hotface USB Card

(13)

$899.00

FREE delivery Wed, Jun 18

[Apple MFi Certified] Lightning to HDMI Adapter for iPhone, 1080P Digital AV Adapter iPhone HDMI Adapter Video HDMI Sync Screen Connector Compatible with iPhone 14/13/12/X/8 NO Need Power Supply

(431)

$15.29

FREE delivery Fri, Oct 3 on your first order

500+ bought in past month

Best Seller

Mcbazel Wii to HDMI Converter Output Video Audio Adapter for Wii (NTSC 480I, 480P, PAL 576I) -Support All Display Modes

(1,399)

$7.99

FREE delivery Tue, Jun 17 on your first order

500+ bought in past month

ABLEWE RCA to HDMI,AV to HDMI Converter, 1080P Mini RCA Composite CVBS Video Audio Converter Adapter Supporting PAL/NTSC for TV/PC/ PS3/ STB/Xbox VHS/VCR/Blue-Ray DVD Players

(49,258)

$16.14

Prime

1K+ bought in past month

FIREBAT AMD Mini PC Ryzen 6600H (6C/12T, Up to 4.5GHz), DP2.0 (4K@160Hz), HDMI 2.1, MU-MIMO WiFi6, BT5.2, Type-C, USB3.2, Dual LAN, 16GB DDR5 RAM 4800MHz 512GB PCIe SSD

(2)

$447.99

PrimeFREE delivery Sat, Jun 14

10.1 Inch Touch Portable Monitor IPS Screen 1366x768P 60Hz 400 Brightness 99% sRGB HDMI USB-C Monitors Switch for Xbox PS3/4/5 Laptop Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Mini Touch Screen

(1)

$99.99

FREE delivery Mon, Aug 11

ELECROW 8 Inch Portable Monitor, 1280x800 Mini HD Display with Built-in Speakers, USB Powered, Non-Touch LCD Screen for Raspberry Pi, PC, Laptop, Jetson Nano, Game Consoles

(49)

$117.29$102.21

$6.86 delivery Thu, Aug 14

7 Inch Portable Monitor Touchscreen HD 1024x600 LED Display Dual HDMI Port Small Monitor for PC Raspberry Pi Laptop Computer Xbox PS4/5 Switch Built-in Speakers

(61)

$68.99

FREE delivery Tue, Aug 12

BrosTrend 1800Mbps WiFi 6 Linux WiFi Adapter for PC and Raspberry Pi 2+, Long Range USB WiFi Dongle Linux for Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Zorin, Windows 11/10, Dual Band Wireless Antenna

(288)

$54.14

FREE delivery Sun, Jun 22

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type-C - SDDDC4-032G-GAM46

(22,151)

$18.99

FREE delivery Wed, Jun 18 on your first order

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive M3.0 for Android Devices and Computers - Microusb, USB 3.0 - SDDD3-032G-G46

(33,153)

$16.17$15.99

FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C - USB-C, USB 3.1 - SDDDC2-032G-G46

(112,612)

$17.29

FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C Flash Drive, Black -SDDDC3-032G-GAM46

(33,785)

$17.42$17.10

FREE delivery Sat, Jun 14 on your first order

TP-Link USB WiFi Adapter for PC(TL-WN725N), N150 Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop - Nano Size WiFi Dongle for Windows 11/10/7/8/8.1/XP/ Mac OS 10.9-10.15 Linux Kernel 2.6.18-4.4.3, 2.4GHz Only

(190,907)

$9.99$8.99

FREE delivery Sun, Jun 22 on your first order

300+ bought in past month

Amazon's Choice

TP-Link USB WiFi Adapter for Desktop PC (Archer T3U Plus) - AC1300Mbps USB 3.0 WiFi Dual Band Network Adapter with 2.4GHz/5GHz High Gain Antenna, MU-MIMO, Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS 10.9-10.15

(16,318)

$19.99$17.99

FREE delivery Sun, Jun 22 on your first order

1K+ bought in past month

TP-Link AC1300 USB WiFi Adapter (Archer T3U) - 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter for PC Desktop, MU-MIMO WiFi Dongle, USB 3.0, Supports Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS 10.9-10.14

(19,238)

$19.99$15.96

FREE delivery Sun, Jun 22 on your first order

500+ bought in past month

TP-Link AC1300 High Gain WiFi USB Adapter (Archer T4U)- Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop with 2.4GHz/5GHz High Gain Antennas, MU-MIMO, Support Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS

(47,080)

$24.99$21.17

FREE delivery Sun, Jun 22 on your first order

100+ bought in past month

10.1 Inch Touch Portable Monitor IPS Screen 1366x768P 60Hz 400 Brightness 99% sRGB HDMI USB-C Monitors Switch for Xbox PS3/4/5 Laptop Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Mini Touch Screen

(1)

$99.99

FREE delivery Mon, Aug 11

ELECROW 8 Inch Portable Monitor, 1280x800 Mini HD Display with Built-in Speakers, USB Powered, Non-Touch LCD Screen for Raspberry Pi, PC, Laptop, Jetson Nano, Game Consoles

(49)

$117.29$102.21

$6.86 delivery Thu, Aug 14

7 Inch Portable Monitor Touchscreen HD 1024x600 LED Display Dual HDMI Port Small Monitor for PC Raspberry Pi Laptop Computer Xbox PS4/5 Switch Built-in Speakers

(61)

$68.99

FREE delivery Tue, Aug 12

BrosTrend 1800Mbps WiFi 6 Linux WiFi Adapter for PC and Raspberry Pi 2+, Long Range USB WiFi Dongle Linux for Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Zorin, Windows 11/10, Dual Band Wireless Antenna

(288)

$54.14

FREE delivery Sun, Jun 22

Surge Protector Power Bar, SUPERDANNY 6 Ft Extension Cord with 8 Outlets & 4USB Ports (2 USB 2 C), Mountable Flat Plug Power Strip, Surge Protection for Home, Office, Dorm

(1,009)

$18.99

Prime

1K+ bought in past month

Best Seller

Ksipze led Lights Strip for Bedroom 100FT,Smart Music Sync RGB Color Changing with App and Remote Control, Power Supply Led Strip Lights Lumiere LED for Room Home Party Decoration

(4,149)

$17.99

FREE delivery Sun, Oct 19 on your first order

3K+ bought in past month

Rolanstar Computer Desk with File Drawer, 64" L Shaped Desk with Power Outlet & LED Strip, L Shaped Computer Corner Desk with File Cabinet, Gaming Desk with Monitor Shelf, Home Office Desk, White

(1,369)

$219.99

FREE delivery Thu, Jun 26

ODK L Shaped Desk with File Drawer, 75" Reversible L Shaped Computer Desk with Power Outlet & LED Strip, Office Desk with Storage Shelves & Monitor Shelf, Corner Desk, Grey Oak

(1,139)

$189.99

100+ bought in past month

AI’s Drawbacks: Environmental Damage, Bad Benchmarks, Outsourcing Thinking

Alex Kantrowitz

About

Latest Posts

AI Is Upending Law. Is That A Sign For The Rest Of Us? — With Melia Russell

SAP's Muhammad Alam: AI's Real Employment Impact, Path To Genuine ROI, Is Hype Good?

AI Device Wars Heat Up, RIP Metaverse?, Netflix Acquires Warner Brothers

How An AI Model Learned To Be Bad — With Evan Hubinger And Monte MacDiarmid

You May Also Like

AI-Efficient Computing Must-Haves

10.1 Inch Touch Portable Monitor IPS Screen 1366x768P 60Hz 400 Brightness 99% sRGB HDMI USB-C Monitors Switch for Xbox PS3/4/5 Laptop Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Mini Touch Screen

ELECROW 8 Inch Portable Monitor, 1280x800 Mini HD Display with Built-in Speakers, USB Powered, Non-Touch LCD Screen for Raspberry Pi, PC, Laptop, Jetson Nano, Game Consoles

7 Inch Portable Monitor Touchscreen HD 1024x600 LED Display Dual HDMI Port Small Monitor for PC Raspberry Pi Laptop Computer Xbox PS4/5 Switch Built-in Speakers

BrosTrend 1800Mbps WiFi 6 Linux WiFi Adapter for PC and Raspberry Pi 2+, Long Range USB WiFi Dongle Linux for Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Zorin, Windows 11/10, Dual Band Wireless Antenna

Anker USB C Cable, [2-Pack, 6 ft] Type C Charger Premium Nylon USB Cable, USB A to Type C Charging Cable Fast Charge for Samsung Galaxy S10 S10+ / Note 8, LG V20 and Other USB C Charger (Black)

Crucial X9 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Compatible with Windows, Mac, &amp; Android, Reliable Storage for Games, Files, &amp; Backups, Black - CT4000X9SSD902

Crucial X10 Pro 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 2100MB/s Read, 2000MB/s Write, 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Durable Storage for PC &amp; Mac, for Professional Creators, Black - ‎CT4000X10PROSSD902

Crucial X9 Pro 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 1050MB/s Read &amp; Write, 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Durable Storage for PC and Mac, for Professional Creators, Silver - ‎CT4000X9PROSSD902

Crucial T705 4TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 SSD - Up to 14,100 MB/s - Game Ready - Internal Solid State Drive (PC) - +1mo Adobe CC - CT4000T705SSD3

Tablet, 10.36 inch Android 14 Tablet with Octa-core Processor 16GB RAM 128GB ROM 1TB Expansion, HD IPS Touchscreen, WiFi 6, BT 5.3, Dual Camera, Tablets 2025

KAMRUI AK1PLUS Mini PC W-11 Pro, 12th Gen N95 Processor (up to 3.4GHz), Mini Desktop Computers with 16GB RAM 512GB M.2 2.5&quot; SSD, Mini Computer Support Dual 4K UHD for Home Business Office

Acer Swift X 14&quot; FHD Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Home

HP 17.3&quot; FHD Laptop, AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Numeric Keyboard, 720p HD Webcam, WiFi, Windows 11 Pro, Silver, 32GB Hotface USB Card

[Apple MFi Certified] Lightning to HDMI Adapter for iPhone, 1080P Digital AV Adapter iPhone HDMI Adapter Video HDMI Sync Screen Connector Compatible with iPhone 14/13/12/X/8 NO Need Power Supply

Mcbazel Wii to HDMI Converter Output Video Audio Adapter for Wii (NTSC 480I, 480P, PAL 576I) -Support All Display Modes

ABLEWE RCA to HDMI,AV to HDMI Converter, 1080P Mini RCA Composite CVBS Video Audio Converter Adapter Supporting PAL/NTSC for TV/PC/ PS3/ STB/Xbox VHS/VCR/Blue-Ray DVD Players

FIREBAT AMD Mini PC Ryzen 6600H (6C/12T, Up to 4.5GHz), DP2.0 (4K@160Hz), HDMI 2.1, MU-MIMO WiFi6, BT5.2, Type-C, USB3.2, Dual LAN, 16GB DDR5 RAM 4800MHz 512GB PCIe SSD

10.1 Inch Touch Portable Monitor IPS Screen 1366x768P 60Hz 400 Brightness 99% sRGB HDMI USB-C Monitors Switch for Xbox PS3/4/5 Laptop Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Mini Touch Screen

ELECROW 8 Inch Portable Monitor, 1280x800 Mini HD Display with Built-in Speakers, USB Powered, Non-Touch LCD Screen for Raspberry Pi, PC, Laptop, Jetson Nano, Game Consoles

7 Inch Portable Monitor Touchscreen HD 1024x600 LED Display Dual HDMI Port Small Monitor for PC Raspberry Pi Laptop Computer Xbox PS4/5 Switch Built-in Speakers

BrosTrend 1800Mbps WiFi 6 Linux WiFi Adapter for PC and Raspberry Pi 2+, Long Range USB WiFi Dongle Linux for Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Zorin, Windows 11/10, Dual Band Wireless Antenna

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type-C - SDDDC4-032G-GAM46

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive M3.0 for Android Devices and Computers - Microusb, USB 3.0 - SDDD3-032G-G46

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C - USB-C, USB 3.1 - SDDDC2-032G-G46

SanDisk 32GB Ultra Dual Drive Go USB Type-C Flash Drive, Black -SDDDC3-032G-GAM46

TP-Link USB WiFi Adapter for PC(TL-WN725N), N150 Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop - Nano Size WiFi Dongle for Windows 11/10/7/8/8.1/XP/ Mac OS 10.9-10.15 Linux Kernel 2.6.18-4.4.3, 2.4GHz Only

TP-Link USB WiFi Adapter for Desktop PC (Archer T3U Plus) - AC1300Mbps USB 3.0 WiFi Dual Band Network Adapter with 2.4GHz/5GHz High Gain Antenna, MU-MIMO, Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS 10.9-10.15

TP-Link AC1300 USB WiFi Adapter (Archer T3U) - 2.4G/5G Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter for PC Desktop, MU-MIMO WiFi Dongle, USB 3.0, Supports Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS 10.9-10.14

TP-Link AC1300 High Gain WiFi USB Adapter (Archer T4U)- Dual Band Wireless Network Adapter for Desktop with 2.4GHz/5GHz High Gain Antennas, MU-MIMO, Support Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP, Mac OS

10.1 Inch Touch Portable Monitor IPS Screen 1366x768P 60Hz 400 Brightness 99% sRGB HDMI USB-C Monitors Switch for Xbox PS3/4/5 Laptop Compatible with Raspberry Pi, Mini Touch Screen

ELECROW 8 Inch Portable Monitor, 1280x800 Mini HD Display with Built-in Speakers, USB Powered, Non-Touch LCD Screen for Raspberry Pi, PC, Laptop, Jetson Nano, Game Consoles

7 Inch Portable Monitor Touchscreen HD 1024x600 LED Display Dual HDMI Port Small Monitor for PC Raspberry Pi Laptop Computer Xbox PS4/5 Switch Built-in Speakers

BrosTrend 1800Mbps WiFi 6 Linux WiFi Adapter for PC and Raspberry Pi 2+, Long Range USB WiFi Dongle Linux for Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Zorin, Windows 11/10, Dual Band Wireless Antenna

Surge Protector Power Bar, SUPERDANNY 6 Ft Extension Cord with 8 Outlets &amp; 4USB Ports (2 USB 2 C), Mountable Flat Plug Power Strip, Surge Protection for Home, Office, Dorm

Ksipze led Lights Strip for Bedroom 100FT,Smart Music Sync RGB Color Changing with App and Remote Control, Power Supply Led Strip Lights Lumiere LED for Room Home Party Decoration

Rolanstar Computer Desk with File Drawer, 64&quot; L Shaped Desk with Power Outlet &amp; LED Strip, L Shaped Computer Corner Desk with File Cabinet, Gaming Desk with Monitor Shelf, Home Office Desk, White

ODK L Shaped Desk with File Drawer, 75&quot; Reversible L Shaped Computer Desk with Power Outlet &amp; LED Strip, Office Desk with Storage Shelves &amp; Monitor Shelf, Corner Desk, Grey Oak

Loading...

Crucial X9 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 1050MB/s, USB 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Compatible with Windows, Mac, & Android, Reliable Storage for Games, Files, & Backups, Black - CT4000X9SSD902

Crucial X10 Pro 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 2100MB/s Read, 2000MB/s Write, 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Durable Storage for PC & Mac, for Professional Creators, Black - ‎CT4000X10PROSSD902

Crucial X9 Pro 4TB Portable SSD, Up to 1050MB/s Read & Write, 3.2 USB-C, External Solid State Drive, Durable Storage for PC and Mac, for Professional Creators, Silver - ‎CT4000X9PROSSD902

KAMRUI AK1PLUS Mini PC W-11 Pro, 12th Gen N95 Processor (up to 3.4GHz), Mini Desktop Computers with 16GB RAM 512GB M.2 2.5" SSD, Mini Computer Support Dual 4K UHD for Home Business Office

Acer Swift X 14" FHD Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Home

HP 17.3" FHD Laptop, AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Numeric Keyboard, 720p HD Webcam, WiFi, Windows 11 Pro, Silver, 32GB Hotface USB Card

Surge Protector Power Bar, SUPERDANNY 6 Ft Extension Cord with 8 Outlets & 4USB Ports (2 USB 2 C), Mountable Flat Plug Power Strip, Surge Protection for Home, Office, Dorm

Rolanstar Computer Desk with File Drawer, 64" L Shaped Desk with Power Outlet & LED Strip, L Shaped Computer Corner Desk with File Cabinet, Gaming Desk with Monitor Shelf, Home Office Desk, White

ODK L Shaped Desk with File Drawer, 75" Reversible L Shaped Computer Desk with Power Outlet & LED Strip, Office Desk with Storage Shelves & Monitor Shelf, Corner Desk, Grey Oak