Reconciling the Machine: An Ethical Approach to AI
I will admit that I was a holdout for a long time. As someone who has navigated the internet through every major iteration, I watched the rise of generative AI with a healthy dose of skepticism. My concerns were not just theoretical. They were structural. I saw the climbing carbon emissions required to power massive data centers and the very real threat of industry upheaval leading to job losses. I worried about the unauthorized use of creative works and how these tools might further entrench inequitable power structures. For a consultant who prioritizes sustainability, embracing AI felt like a contradiction.
The Turning Point
The shift in my perspective began at home. Watching my child use these tools made me realize that once a technology is in the hands of the next generation, it is no longer a trend. It is the infrastructure of their future. I realized that I could not nurture or protect my clients' interests, or my family’s interests, if I did not deeply understand the tools shaping their world.
As a small business owner, I also had to be pragmatic. I work with a limited budget and even more limited time. When I saw sustainability experts using AI to track emissions and navigate complex regulatory compliance, I realized they were not shying away. They were using the machine to fix the problems the machine helped create.
Balancing the Digital Impact
I have since integrated AI into my daily workflow, and I now advise my clients on how to ensure their products are discoverable by answer engines. However, I have not abandoned my values. Instead, I have looked for ways to offset my digital footprint through deliberate and informed actions:
Digital Decluttering: I am in the process of deleting tens (probably hundreds) of thousands of emails, photos, and other files from cloud storage.
Energy Efficiency: I want more of my data on my own machine and not in a data center that consumes large amounts of energy.
Prompt Engineering: I am learning about energy efficient AI prompting and practicing it to minimize the processing power required for my queries.
Lower-Energy Browsing: I use reader mode in Safari to strip away energy intensive ads and images.
Web Sustainability Standards: I am redesigning Sixbees Consulting’s website to align with W3C Sustainability Guidelines, ensuring my corner of the internet is as lightweight as possible.
Stewardship Over Perfection
Does this perfectly offset the energy cost of AI? Probably not. Progress is rarely about perfection. It is about consistent stewardship.
I use AI tools because they allow small and mid-sized businesses like mine to compete with much larger businesses. I can deliver enterprise-grade strategy on a manageable budget and in a reasonable time. We optimize our data structures so AI can find us, but we keep our digital files clean to avoid wasting resources.
The AI era is here, and it will be the era until the next major technology shift. If you are concerned about how to integrate it, know that there are ways to use this new technology ethically, humanely, and sustainably. You can use AI in a way that is less harmful to the environment where you do business.
How are you balancing the drive for AI modernization with the need to keep your business running smoothly and without unnecessary waste? If you are ready to improve your digital discovery while managing energy consumption and operational costs, let’s connect on a Discovery Audit for your business.