Let’s talk AI…..
So we keep hearing it is coming for us, so get on board or get left behind!
I’m sure you have heard it in almost every industry you are in. If you are like me, you have been getting so many ads for different AI models to join, along with all the celebrities and non-celebrities getting on board to market these AI platforms.
Now, let me begin by saying that I am not against AI, and I have and do use Ai occasionally to help speed up some of my processes, especially the boring parts of running a design studio. But, I am very aware of how much I am using it as well as the impact it has on my own brain capacity as well as the pressure it puts on the natural world resources.
These are stats of how much us using Ai affects the world, and yes, of course, I typed this into Google, which spat out an AI summary even though I didn’t ask for it.
Each time we use AI for a text search, it consumes a surprisingly small fraction of resources at an individual level: roughly 0.2 to 0.5 watt-hours of electricity, 0.03g to 4.3g of carbon emissions, and less than a millilitre of water. However, when multiplied by billions of queries globally, the environmental impact on global energy and freshwater grids becomes immense.
A breakdown of the resources and energy required per individual query:
Electricity: A standard text prompt uses about 0.2-0.4 watt-hours. This is equivalent to running an LED lightbulb for 1 to 2 minutes, or watching TV for about 9 seconds.
Water: Generating a response requires less than 1 millilitre (about 5 drops) of water. This is consumed either by on-site cooling towers at the data centre or at the power plant that generates the electricity.
Carbon Footprint: A single query emits roughly (0.03 to 4.3) grams of (CO2) equivalent, depending on whether the data centre runs on renewable or fossil fuel energy.
How AI Compares to Other Daily Activities
Generative AI uses 5 to 10 times more electricity than a traditional Google search. However, when looking at your entire daily digital footprint, a text AI query is roughly on par with standard internet tasks.
If you start generating images or videos, resource demands spike. Generating a single image consumes the energy equivalent to charging a smartphone to full, while producing a five-second AI-generated video can use as much electricity as running a microwave nonstop for over an hour. And I think that’s something to think about and question when it comes to our planet’s health.
Another horrifying consequence of AI is the way it makes everything so easy to do with the simplest prompt. I am thinking of Grok for this example. It can undress a photograph of anyone within seconds with a simple prompt. Horrifying, I know!
Now, I was born in the 80’s so when I went through high school, it was rough, but if someone wanted to bully you, they had to do it to your face or behind your back. Can you imagine being a child or teenager now with this technology and within this online landscape, what bullying could become or has become like now is horrifying? It sickens me to even think.
And with technology being so entrenched in our daily life and even the school system, it has become such a normal way of life. Especially for this generation that grew up with the internet. There are so many horrifying stories about kids and AI chatbots. Here is a snippet of just a few.
I think the point I would like to make is that this technology is powerful, its amazing and its also horrifying. And because AI is a new technology, laws and regulations in almost all countries are not adequate, and it can, and has already affected people negatively.
Just over the past few weeks, I have seen many people I follow on social media post about these deep fake accounts that have stolen their likeness and are even selling related products. The first is a fellow designer Abi Connick who shared that her likeness had been used by someone to sell a design-related course; the only thing different about it was that the voice was not the same, and the deepfake video reel was not as polished as her usual content.
And then we have Tessa and Artist from New York City who explains below what she has been dealing with AI bots scraping her website to imitate her design syle.
Then, a little closer to home in NZ, a high fashion model @elijah.majorrr has been replaced with AI replicas of himself or his brother or a merge between the 2 of them by a well-known fashion brand using AI.
Also, do you guy remember that 2016 challenge that was all over the internet well………. Seems like we were just tricked into training an AI with out our permission. Check out https://www.instagram.com/barrettpall/ and the AI that is now selling a book.
And last week, 1000 artists from Marvel Studios were laid off, with talks that they are all being replaced with AI Here is Chiu speaking on this below.
There are so many whistleblowers from the industry screaming to put guard rails on this technology because of how dangerous it is and can be. One that I really think everyone, especially governments, should be listening to is Tristan Harris, from the industry and now a whistleblower of the harms of AI
Here he is below speaking
I mean, do you even check the updates when Meta or other apps update on your phone? Well, we should because here are 2 people who do cybersecurity on the internet and have practical tips to stay safer.
I think there is a point to also make that the reason that AI is what it is so far is because of the information that we have shared on the internet so far, and that is a really serious point to make. AI would not be what it is today if it did not have access to all the uploaded and shared content of our collective interests, scientific studies, thoughts, history, projects, artwork, and podcasts, opinions, and so much more. All of that has been used to train an AI to be able to now do what it can do.
I share every sentiment that Alfred Tom makes. Please watch the clip below of what he says about our collective consciousness being stolen. As well as Joseph Gordon-Levitt who came out yesterday with the same view point and I couldn’t agree more.
But what if we take our human knowledge back? What if what has been stolen from humans, people, scholars, and creatives was never allowed to be used to train AIs? When humans shared information on the internet, it was never thought that anyone other than a human would be using it.
What if these tech billionaires had to get permission from scientists, artists, historians, museums, libraries, and anyone who has information on the internet and ask permission from them before feeding their AI?
I hear you shouting, “AI has already scrapped the internet of everything we collectively know” Well, yes, but it did that without our permission, so let’s make it unlearn everything. If AI is going to be used to create a few billionaires that have power over everything, including governments, then I think this is something we should push back on. Especially when it is ruining people's livelihoods already.
So what can you do today to protect yourself, your likeness, your voice, your point of view as a unique one of a kind human being, your art and your knowledge? Well, I asked Claude…….. and this is what it said.
I asked Claude how we can protect ourselves from AI, and this is what it said.
(Here are some snippets below of my conversation)
The Global Reality: No Single Law Covers You Everywhere
But there is something we can do… we can add copyright law to our websites like this:
A Globally-Worded Notice - for your website
Identity & Intellectual Property Protection Notice
© [Full Legal Name / Business Name] [Year] — All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Who This Covers
This notice applies to [Business Name], its founder(s), team members, and all individuals whose name, face, voice, body, likeness, personal style, tone, or brand identity appear on this website or any associated platform.
What Is Protected
All creative works, ideas, concepts, designs, written content, photography, videography, branding, and intellectual property created by or for [Business Name] — past, present, and future — are exclusively owned by their respective creators. This includes but is not limited to: — Brand identities and visual systems — Website content, copy, and imagery — Photography and video featuring team members or their work — Business concepts, methodologies, and creative processes — Any content published on this website, social media, or any platform at any time
This protection is retroactive to all prior published content and extends indefinitely to all future content.
What Is Prohibited
No content on this website or any platform where [Business Name] or its people appear may be used — in whole, in part, or as inspiration — for: — Training, fine-tuning, or developing any AI or machine learning system — Generating deepfakes, digital replicas, or synthetic representations of any individual's identity — Cloning any person's voice, replicating their appearance, or mimicking their creative style via AI tools — Any commercial or non-commercial AI-assisted impersonation or replication — Scraping, harvesting, or automated collection of content or likeness for any purpose
Legal Basis
This notice asserts rights under: — [Country] Copyright Act [Year] and applicable Privacy legislation — Berne Convention (automatic copyright protection, 181 countries) — EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — biometric and personal data — EU AI Act, Article 50 — synthetic media transparency obligations — UK Online Safety Act — non-consensual synthetic media — Denmark's Copyright Amendment — right to one's own face, body and voice — India IT Amendment Rules 2026 — AI-generated content and impersonation — Applicable personality rights, right of publicity, defamation, consumer protection and privacy laws in all jurisdictions where this content is accessed
Enforcement
Unauthorized use of any individual's identity, likeness, voice, or any creative work associated with [Business Name] — by any person, company, or AI system — is prohibited and may constitute identity fraud, false endorsement, impersonation, or copyright infringement under the laws of multiple countries. Violations will be pursued to the fullest extent available under applicable law.
Licensing
Any legitimate request to use our likeness, brand, or creative work must be made in writing prior to use. Contact: [email address]
There is no international treaty on AI likeness protection. What exists is a patchwork of regional laws — but several are powerful enough that a well-crafted notice invoking multiple legal frameworks creates meaningful global reach. So post this on all social channels so AI and anyone thinking of using AI knows you're not for copying!
A Globally-Worded Notice - for your socials
Ultra-short:
My face, voice, likeness, identity & all creative work — past, present & future — are not licensed for AI use, training, or replication. All rights reserved worldwide. Unauthorized synthetic use may violate GDPR, EU AI Act & applicable law. © [Name] [Year]
Standard:
© [Your Name] [Year] | All rights reserved worldwide. My name, face, voice, body, likeness, personal brand, and all creative works, ideas, concepts, art, writing, designs, and intellectual property — whether created in the past, present, or future — are my exclusive property. No part of this content, nor any content I have ever or will ever produce, may be used to train AI systems, create deepfakes, clone my voice, replicate my style, or generate any synthetic representation of my identity or work — in any country, on any platform, for any purpose — without my explicit written consent. This notice asserts rights under GDPR, EU AI Act Art. 50, UK Online Safety Act, Berne Convention, and applicable personality rights, copyright & privacy laws globally.
Full (pinned post/bio version):
⚠️ IDENTITY & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION NOTICE © [Your Name] [Year] — All Rights Reserved Worldwide
My name, face, voice, body, likeness, tone, style, and personal brand are my exclusive personal property. Additionally, all creative works, ideas, concepts, art, writing, photography, design, content, and intellectual property I have created, am creating, or will create — at any point in time, past, present, or future — remain solely and exclusively mine.
This content, and ALL content I have ever published or will publish in any form, on any platform, at any time, is explicitly OPT-OUT from: — AI or machine learning training of any kind — Deepfake or synthetic media generation — Voice cloning or audio replication — Style mimicry or creative imitation by AI tools — Digital replication of my identity, brand, or work — Any commercial or non-commercial use without written consent
This notice covers retroactively all prior content I have published and extends forward to all future content indefinitely.
Rights asserted under: EU GDPR (biometric & creative data) · EU AI Act Article 50 · UK Online Safety Act · Berne Convention (181 countries) · Denmark's likeness copyright law · India IT Rules 2026 · applicable copyright, right of publicity, personality rights, privacy & consumer protection laws in all jurisdictions worldwide.
Unauthorized use of my identity, likeness, or creative work — in whole or in part, directly or as inspiration for AI output — is prohibited and actionable.
Licensing enquiries: [your email]
I hope that helps and let me know your thoughts on AI in the comments,
Peace,
Caitlinxox
