What in the World

Will AI really be worth the cost?


Listen Later

Over the last 18 months the world has gone pretty crazy about AI. Apple has been jumping into the space and Samsung is forecasting higher profits than ever from its advanced chips. Tech companies say it’s the future and may even put a lot of us out of a job. But a new report from one of the world’s top banks says that generative AI, things like ChatGPT or Gemini, might not prove to be the gamechanger that tech companies have been promising.

Generative AI also uses huge amounts of energy and water, behind the super smart tech are massive data centres that drive up greenhouse gas emissions. So we’re asking is AI really going to be worth the cost to our wallets and potentially our planet?

Imran Rahman Jones, a BBC Tech Reporter, tells us how the drive for AI has bumped up Google’s emissions by almost half and explains the ways tech companies are trying to compensate for the surges.

Also Ed Zitron, who writes about tech and hosts the Better Offline podcast, tells us why he thinks the hype around generative AI is in danger of becoming overblown.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld

WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Alex Rhodes
Producers: Benita Barden and Maria Clara Montoya
Editors: Verity Wilde

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

What in the WorldBy BBC World Service

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

11 ratings


More shows like What in the World

View all
The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,854 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,816 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

532 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

959 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

305 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,059 Listeners

Business Matters by BBC World Service

Business Matters

49 Listeners

Tech Life by BBC World Service

Tech Life

56 Listeners

The Conversation by BBC World Service

The Conversation

73 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

755 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

472 Listeners

People Fixing the World by BBC World Service

People Fixing the World

244 Listeners

Learning English from the News by BBC Radio

Learning English from the News

247 Listeners

The Explanation by BBC World Service

The Explanation

26 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

182 Listeners