A study published in the journal Global Environmental Politics identified that the constant use of social media and tools for artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, diverts efforts that could be used to combat the climate crisis.
Among the losses caused by constant exposure to these tools are the reduction in the ability to develop creative solutions and the increase in pessimism caused by the wide dissemination of negative images and news.
The motivation of study made in University of British Columbia was the realization that there was a lack of research identifying the downsides of excessive use of social media and AI. For the group of researchers, showing only the good side of these tools creates a false impression that they only bring benefits.
“These technologies are influencing human behavior and social dynamics, shaping attitudes and responses to climate change,” said Dr. Hamish van der Ven, assistant professor of Sustainable Natural Resources Business Management at the university.
According to the study, the intensive use of artificial intelligence — through chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT, for example — affects the ability to generate creative solutions, which could be applied to control climate crises. The group of researchers therefore asks that these languages be revised to reduce the level of dependence caused in users.
When it comes to social networks, the study shows that when we spend a lot of time on them, our ability to concentrate decreases, lasting just 6 minutes. Tiktok, for example, which offers videos whose average length is 34 seconds, causes these few moments to release dopamine and cause the addiction to “scrolling”. With this dependence, the willingness to read information in more depth decreases, as it requires more dedicated time.
“We are calling on researchers to shift part of their focus from the direct to the indirect impacts of technologies made available via the internet. Only through fact-based analysis can we achieve a more holistic understanding of the internet’s true impact on climate,” concluded Dr. Hamish van der Ven.
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