The Ethics of AI Use

A Reader Question I Can’t Shake

This question landed in my inbox after a recent post, and it stuck with me:

“I’ve been loving your Substack—it’s helped me think about automating the rote parts of my work and saving my brain for the deep stuff. But I’m struggling to justify using AI, given how much water and energy it takes to run these models. How are you thinking about that?”

It’s a good question. Deserves more than a quick reply.

Short version? I use AI a lot. But I’m not fully at peace with it. (I’m still not fully at peace with using cars either).

I’ve read the numbers—the power draw, the cooling costs, the environmental toll. It’s significant. And yet, I’ve chosen to accelerate my own use. Why?

Because the tool exists, and bad actors are already using it. Opting out doesn’t slow them down—it just removes people who might use it with care. That’s not resistance, that’s absence.

I think of AI like fire. Or guns. Fire gave us warmth, food, and survival—but also destruction and pollution. Guns protect and feed—but also kill and terrorize. Same tool, different hand, different intent.

AI’s the same. It can amplify disinformation, surveillance, and bullshit. But it can also cut through noise, reduce burnout, and scale thoughtful work. I mostly use it to offload the mental drudge—so I can go deeper, work better, and stay human longer.

Besides my day-to-day use, I want to stay alert while our dear leader Trump, brings the Saudis and numerous assorted crooks into shaping AI for their benefit. They’re not waiting for consensus. Neither should we. Btw, autonomous AI controlled high kill-rate drone swarms are coming to a test-war near you soon.

Do I think my use of AI is ethically impeccable? No. But there’s nothing that I know of that’s impactful at scale that is. Even reuse at scale will have its downsides.

I also don’t think we’re doomed. Climate change is real, brutal, and already here. But we adapt. Not evenly. Not kindly. But we always have. That gives me room to make tradeoffs—not perfect ones, just better ones.

This still isn’t settled for me. I’m making these choices in real time like everyone else. If you see it differently—or more clearly—I’m listening.

It started with one reader’s question. Maybe it should be all of ours.

—Ray