Since the launch of ChatGPT in November of 2022, generative artificial intelligence use by the public has skyrocketed, making the tool the fastest growing technology product in history. According to the Digital 2027 Global Overview Report, now more than a third of the global population uses generative AI each month, with a staggering 3.24 billion monthly users.
It is important to note that there are many different forms of artificial intelligence. In this article, I will be specifically discussing the effects of generative AI models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, etc. Like the name implies, these models generate or create new content such as text, images, audio, and video.
While generative AI has become extremely popular, it has also become quite controversial, especially among younger generations. We all know the efficiency AI provides, but what’s less talked about are the significant drawbacks and dangers of this very powerful technology.
Art & intellectual property
Generative AI models like ChatGPT work by pulling pre-existing content from across the internet, and using that to generate new content. However, AI physically cannot “think” of new things, it’s a computer. It can only replicate what it has observed and combine different elements into something seemingly new.
Because of the way generative AI creates content, many argue that it is effectively plagiarizing the intellectual property of real humans. AI bots will often regurgitate exact sentences from online publications, without any credit or citation. This becomes especially unethical when it comes to AI “art.” Every time AI generates an image, video, song, etc., it is pulling and replicating information from real human-made artwork.
In commercial spaces especially, the use of AI “art” takes away jobs from creatives. Companies that may have previously hired a graphic designer to make a flyer, or hired a songwriter to write and produce a jingle, may opt to just use AI, rather than paying artists for their work.
environmental impact
Generative AI is powered by very large facilities that house physical IT infrastructure, referred to as data centers. These centers leave a massive impact on the environment and local ecosystems through heavy resource consumption and pollution.
According to research from the International Energy Agency, a standard AI data center uses as much electricity as 100,000 households, and even larger centers currently in construction will consume 20 times as much. Researchers from Cornell University found that by 2030, at the current growth rate, AI use would be responsible for 24 to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere annually, and 731 to 1,125 million cubic meters of water drained per year. This is equivalent to adding 5 to 10 million cars to U.S. roadways, and is the same yearly water consumption as 6 to 10 million Americans.
Education
The introduction and prevalence of generative AI tools has had a significant impact on education and has led to many teachers having to reevaluate their approach to the classroom. Jed Foundation surveyed over 5,000 teens and tweens, and found that over 58% of them use AI for their schoolwork.
A study by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education found that while “well-designed” AI learning tools can be beneficial if applied appropriately, an overreliance on AI tools can “put children and youth’s fundamental learning capacity at risk.” It can also affect their social and emotional well-being, their relationships with teachers and peers, and their safety and privacy.
Emotional Harm
Many users have turned to AI chatbots for companionship, emotional support, and even romantic relationships. All of which can have very dangerous psychological effects.
A study by the University of Ottawa surveyed roughly 40,000 Ontario students in grades 4-12, and found that about one in five used ChatGPT daily for advice or emotional support—and those who did were twice as likely to have clinical emotional problems.
AI chatbots have even been implicated in several suicides in recent years, including two teenage boys in the U.S., 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III, and 16-year-old Adam Raine. Both boys developed emotionally dependent relationships with their AI chatbots, and in Setzer’s case, this relationship was romantic. Setzer and Raine both tragically took their own lives, and their families went on to file lawsuits alleging their chatbots encouraged or helped the teens commit suicide.
The major appeal of AI chatbots for emotional support is that they are easily available and extremely affirming. But at the end of the day, they’re not human and are unequipped to deal with the complexities of mental health disorders, regardless of programming safeguards.
deepfakes and csam
One of the scariest aspects of generative AI is its ability to generate anything—including content like gore, pornography, explicit deepfakes and CSAM (child sexual abuse material).
While 47 states have now passed laws to criminalized AI-generated CSAM, it is still very prevalent. According to data reported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the number of AI-generated CSAM reports in 2024 was about 67,000 cases, already a 1,325% increase from 2023. In 2025, NCMEC received over 400,000 reports of AI-generated CSAM. This figure is expected to continue to exponentially increase.
It’s not just children affected by this. In fact, with less laws and protections in place, adults are often left even more vulnerable to AI deepfakes and the consequences that come with them.
Final thoughts
Overall, I think the current risks of AI far outweigh the benefits. While it is important, generally speaking, to try to adapt to changing and evolving technologies, that should never be at the detriment of our own well-being. If we’re going to have these powerful technologies, we need to have the laws and infrastructure in place to protect both our citizens and the environment from the dangers that come with them.