AI Panic: What Should We Actually Be Worried About?
- BRAD JEFFORD
- Sep 17
- 5 min read
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I recently wrote a blog post and included an AI-generated image. Using an AI-generated image turned out to be worth more than a thousand words because very few people commented on my writing, but everyone had something to say about that image. The pushback was swift and pointed. Folks were concerned about environmental impacts and worried about taking work away from local photographers.
A similar occurrence happened this week with the Education Accord NL. This major 10-year education roadmap for our province was accused of using fake sources that may have been generated by AI. Just like with my blog post, all talk was about AI use, with hardly any discussion about the actual ideas presented in the 418-page document.
Here's the thing! Folks who commented on my blog were right about supporting local photographers. Still, after delving into the environmental claims, I realized we should be having a more holistic discussion about AI's impact. I have some questions.
Does using AI mean that folks won't take a document or piece of writing seriously? And if so, how deep does this go? Is spell check or Grammarly also out of the question? These AI tools have been assisting writers for years! What about AI's environmental impacts compared to the rest of our digital lives? Perhaps we need to have two separate conversations: one about the planet, and another about what makes us human.
The Environmental Truth: We're Worried About the Wrong Things
Let me share some numbers that might surprise you.
According to the latest research from Spark AI's 2025 Environmental Impact Report, one ChatGPT query uses about 3 watt-hours of electricity and generates approximately 2-3 grams of CO2. To put that in perspective, reading this blog for 5 minutes on your laptop uses about the same energy as 1-2 ChatGPT prompts.
Here is more data about human environmental impacts on the planet:
Your daily latte: 200-300g CO2
Driving one mile: 404g CO2
One hamburger: 2,000g CO2
Heating your home for one day: 10,000-30,000g CO2
One transatlantic flight: 1,000,000g CO2
Here is some data specifically about digital environmental impacts:
One ChatGPT query: 2-3g CO2
One Google search: 0.2g CO2
Watching Netflix for one hour: 36g CO2
Sending one email: 4g CO2
Streaming YouTube for one hour: 8-40g CO2 (depending on quality)
Your morning coffee habit has 10 times the environmental impact of heavy daily AI use. That flight to Toronto? That's equivalent to asking ChatGPT 10 questions every day for 90 years!
But it forces us to ask: if we're truly worried about the environment, is our individual AI use really the biggest problem? Or, should we take a holistic approach to our impact on the planet? Are you driving when you could walk? Flying when you could drive? Eating beef when you could choose chicken?
According to OpenAI's latest usage research, in June of 2025, ChatGPT now has 700 million weekly users sending 2.6 billion messages daily. At that scale, it adds up. But individually? Your daily AI use probably has less environmental impact than your Netflix habits!
The Human Truth: What AI Can Never Capture
But environmental impact isn't the real issue here. The real problem is what makes us human.
A few weeks ago, I was playing guitar at a venue where it seemed like the music was just background noise. People were socializing, ordering drinks, and I thought barely paying attention to my music, I almost felt invisible! Then, during a set break, someone approached while I was sitting at the bar and told me how my music had helped them set aside their struggles for a moment and feel something else entirely. They continued to share a personal story about loss, healing, and spoke of finding hope in unexpected places. The emotional exchange with art and music led to this conversation and this connection between two humans!
That moment is something AI will never replicate. Not because it can't process emotions or generate beautiful images, but because it has never lived, never struggled, never felt the weight of loss or the lightness of unexpected joy.
When you hire a local photographer to capture your St. John's wedding, you're not just buying technical skill. You're getting someone who understands the wind off the harbour, who knows how the light hits Signal Hill at sunset, who has their own story about love and commitment that informs how they see yours. You're getting their emotional investment in your moment.
When you support a local musician, you're not just paying for entertainment. You're connecting with someone who has spent years learning their craft, who pours their experiences, both joyful and heartbreaking, into every note. You're participating in that ancient human tradition of gathering around music to feel less alone in the world.
Environmental issues are part of it, but human considerations are huge! The issue is that we're starting to forget the value of human connection, human struggle, and human creativity. We're reducing art to a commodity to be produced as efficiently as possible rather than experienced as a bridge between souls.
Two Separate Problems, Both Worth Solving
So here's what I've learned: we have two separate issues that often get tangled together.
The Environmental Issue: If you're genuinely concerned about climate change, take a holistic approach to both your digital and physical lives.
The Human Connection Issue: If you value creativity, community, and the irreplaceable experience of human artistic expression, then hire local photographers, support local musicians, and buy from local artists whenever possible. Not because AI is bad, but because human creativity is precious.
Practical Guidelines for Living with Both Truths
Here's how I'm approaching this going forward:
For Environmental Impact: I will use AI tools thoughtfully and consider my whole environmental impact, especially digitally, as this research made me think more about my use of Netflix and YouTube.
For Supporting Human Creativity: When I have a budget for creative work, I will hire humans, buy directly from artists, share local creators' work, and pay for tickets to local shows. If I don’t have a budget, I’ll try to create “art”. This “art” for this post is evidence of that :)
The Bottom Line
We're living through a time when technology is advancing faster than our wisdom about how to use it. I don't believe AI is inherently evil, and it isn't a replacement for the messy, beautiful, irreplaceable experience of human creativity and connection.
AI tools must be used ethically and responsibly while protecting and celebrating human creativity. I believe AI will have major positive impacts on our world, but if we move too fast, we may not understand the risks and benefits! This lack of understanding seems to present itself as fear. We must push past this fear, do the work to understand as much as we can, and then make the best decisions possible with that understanding.
What's your take? Are you uncomfortable or fearful of AI tools? Should these tools be understood and used appropriately, or not used at all?
For my fellow musicians and creators: How has AI changed your work or your community? What guidelines are you using to navigate these choices?
Share your thoughts below, and if you found this perspective helpful, please share it with others navigating the same dilemmas.
Want to continue the conversation? Contact me through bradjeffordmusic.com or join the discussion on social media.
Sources:
Brad wrote this blog post on September 17, 2025. AI was used in editing and formatting these ideas. The environmental impact data reflects the most current research available at that time.
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