AI’s Environmental Costs, Copyright Battles, and Privacy Risks (Part 2 with Dr. Karen Boyd)

AI’s Environmental Costs, Copyright Battles, and Privacy Risks (Part 2 with Dr. Karen Boyd)

In part two of Larry Magid’s interview with Dr. Karen Boyd on Doing Tech Right, they discuss AI’s environmental impact, noting that video streaming often uses more data-center resources than chatbots, and that water for cooling can burden nearby communities while electricity use adds pollution on a fossil-fueled grid.

They examine AI training and copyright, possible settlements or taxes, and the unsettled “fair use” debate.

They cover privacy and security risks from sharing sensitive data with chatbots, including hacking and potential reuse for training, plus unclear “memory” settings and feedback signals. Magid shares using AI to interpret a CT scan, and Boyd recommends cross-checking models, asking for assumptions, and seeking expert confirmation.

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:28 Meet Dr Karen Boyd

00:53 AI Environmental Footprint

02:05 Data Centers And Communities

03:16 Mining And Real Costs

04:52 Practical Ways To Cut Impact

05:44 AI And Copyright Theft

07:48 Paying Creators Fairly