it's pretty much a blind spot at this point. i try to argue, but really, it's no use. at least china is going forward with it, so i guess it doesn't matter how they feel

they know can't do anything about the underlying problem of capitalism, so they just lash out against the symptoms of the system.

yep. it's the same thing for stuff like fast fashion. i honestly blame whoever it was that first said "saying there's no ethical consumption under capitalism doesn't mean you don't have to watch how you consume!". like, it actually does mean that.we also don't own the means of production, so saying things in the manner of "each prompt you make spends whatever amount of water!" makes no sense. nothing you do within AI spends anything, just as buying and wearing your clothes doesn't pollute the waters, just as buying a new plushie doesn't enslave any southeast asian worker. all of this happens within production, not consumption. and it's the mode of production that defines consumer culture, not the other way around, hence there's nothing we can do except literal revolution. but admitting that means to acknowledge a level of individual powerlessness that makes one very uncomfortable, it means nothing good will ever happen unless you organize. which also takes time, when everything feels incredibly urgent. all of this makes you feel like shit, but it's the reality