In a world where we can find answers to almost any question with a few clicks, it is vital to be aware of the misuse of AI, especially when it comes to questions surrounding clean energy.
UCLA professor and author of the book "Algorithms of Oppression," Safiya Umoja Noble, spoke to the university's Julia Busiek about misinformation and bias across search engines like Google, stating: "The companies that own search engines are built to respond to the highest bidder. Yes, they are constantly trying to refine and detect where their systems are being gamed. But they've made products that can be gamed."
It has recently become clear that AI can directly affect the environment, as the system can promote animals as something to be consumed and promote videos of cruelty. Furthermore, misinformation on the use of wind, solar, and hydroelectric power has been found, as an article in CleanTechnica detailed.
The article hammers in the effects of biased search results, stating that large language models like ChatGPT use information from not only scholarly articles, but also Reddit forums, untrustworthy sites, and essentially anyone who has stated an opinion online, "as if these things are all equally reliable," said Noble, in a quote that also appeared in the university report. Some credible researchers have even been caught blatantly using AI in their publications.
Language learning models are fueled by those who code and feed them information, meaning they can be prompted to create what experts call "synthetic media," according to NBC News. This includes falsified scholarly articles and even AI images to accompany untrue stories, as Gizmodo detailed.
Noble said in the university report that she sees this issue firsthand affecting her students, who often come to class or turn in assignments using misinformed/AI-generated sites as evidence as they "can't quite tell the difference."
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Her advice for the public is to learn how to use, or not use, artificial intelligence to avoid misinformation. The start is to be aware of the unavoidable bias. As for her personal use, Noble says, "I don't use it like I'm going to the library. I use it for shopping, which is really what it's probably best designed for."
A good start for the public is to follow in Noble's footsteps and use AI sparingly when it comes to research or understanding environmental and energy-related facts. By using trusted sources and comparing research across said sources, we can all help lessen the consumption of misinformation and remain on track to a cleaner future.
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