AI for Teens
Why AI?
Humans are finding many ways to get their work done faster, and more efficiently. AI (artificial intelligence) is no different. Why do people use AI? Well, for some people the answer might be easy: it gets work done. But some people don’t consider how harmful using AI can be.
AI refers to computers, which do complex work that usually humans do. There is no single definition of AI because it is capable of many complex things. AI uses mass amounts of data to find patterns and make predictions, which ultimately come out to one answer.
AI narrows down how much you think and learn based on how much you use it.
Not only that, but AI uses mass amounts of energy and is bad for the environment. Scientists estimate that by 2027, AI will be using 0.5% of the world’s energy, which is enough energy to power a small nation.
Teens use AI the most because it offers quick accessible help with many brainstorming tools. These things can be nice to use, but using these “tools” can become shortcuts, and slowly lead to you just typing in the question and AI just giving you the answer. The article "More teens are using AI: What parents should know" by Beasta Mostafavi states, “As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, more teens are turning to them for academic help.” This shows that teens are turning to AI for academic help and are not truly using them for the tools that they are.
When ChatGPT first came out, I personally used it to learn about random things that I just found interesting. I learned that AI can make pictures for you which led me to use more AI photos for new drawings and things like that. This led me to learning many new things, but over time ChatGPT got used for things that weren’t too important, while still using mass amounts of energy. This harms the environment, which comes to show that you shouldn’t use AI more than you need too. “Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact” by Adam Zewe states, “Scientists have estimated that the power requirements of data centers in North America increased from 2,688 megawatts at the end of 2022 to 5,341 megawatts at the end of 2023, partly driven by the demands of generative AI.” Overuse makes the demand for electricity higher, which can cause negative environmental impacts.
If you need help with your homework or anything, I personally recommend using Magic School because it has a lot of tools, while not giving you a direct answer. It’ll give you your strong points and points for growth, which helps a lot for learning or editing.
All in all, I recommend using AI, but not using it to cheat because the next time you do, you may end up with a big fat 0.
Works Cited
What is Artificial Intelligence? - NASA
Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
More teens are using AI: What parents should know | Michigan Medicine
