Page 67 from: Recycling International – July/August issue 2023

BECK’S

67recyclinginternational.com | July/August | 2023

Fotobijschrift

KADERKOP
??

AI: Artificial intelligence
or awful intelligence?

As I am basically lazy, I got

something else to write this

column – the Generative

Pre-trained Transformer (GPT).

Chat GPT is a type of conversational
artificial intelligence (AI) model that
uses natural language processing (NLP)
to generate human-like responses in
text-based conversations. I asked Chat
GPT for a 200-word article about why
recycling is detrimental for humanity.
Obviously, it didn’t know the meaning
of ‘200’ because I was presented with a
420-word article. Here is the shortened
version of what it came up with.
‘The dark side of recycling: examining
its negative impact on humanity’
Recycling has long been hailed as a
solution to our environmental woes,
championed as a way to reduce waste
and conserve resources. However,
beneath the surface lies a complex web
of issues that paint a different picture.
One of the major drawbacks of recy-
cling is the false sense of sustainability it
creates. By focusing solely on recycling,

we overlook the more crucial aspects of
waste reduction and resource conserva-
tion. People tend to consume more,
assuming recycling will alleviate the
environmental consequences. This
mindset perpetuates a cycle of overcon-
sumption, exacerbating environmental
problems.
Recycling is not a zero-energy process.
The collection, transportation, sorting,
and processing of recyclables require
significant energy inputs, often derived
from fossil fuels.
Recycling is not economically efficient.
The burden falls on taxpayers and busi-
nesses, diverting resources away from
more effective sustainability initiatives
and potentially hampering economic
growth.’ Not bad.
Then, of course, I asked Chat GPT why
recycling was one of the best things
that had ever happened:

‘Recycling: a revolutionary solution for a
sustainable future’
Recycling has emerged as one of the
most transformative practices of mod-
ern times, offering numerous benefits
that positively impact humanity and the
planet. It plays a vital role in conserving
valuable resources because it reduces
the need for extracting raw materials
from the earth.
Recycling significantly reduces the
amount of waste that ends up in land-
fills and incinerators and thus reduces
greenhouse gas emissions and minimis-
es pollution. Recycling consumes sub-
stantially less energy compared to man-
ufacturing products, such as aluminium
and steel, from raw materials.
Recycling creates jobs, from collection
and sorting to processing and manufac-
turing. Additionally, recycling promotes
innovation and entrepreneurship.’
Again, not bad.
‘Are recyclers greedy people?’
Again, this was Chat GPT’s (edited) reply:
‘As recycling is an industry that oper-
ates within economic frameworks, profit
can be a driving factor and some recy-
clers may be perceived as greedy
because financial incentives drive them
to prioritise gains over environmental
concerns, leading to potentially unethi-
cal practices. However, it’s crucial to
recognise that there are many responsi-
ble and ethical recyclers who genuinely
care about the environment and work
diligently to promote sustainability.
They prioritise proper waste manage-
ment, invest in efficient recycling pro-
cesses and contribute to the circular
economy.’
Does Chat GPT also have a sense of
humour? The short answer from me is: it
hasn’t. Several times, I asked to be told
a short joke about recycling. Those it
came up with are just too boring to
repeat here. So there’s obviously still a
lot of work to do on Chat GPT before it
becomes even almost human.

Manfred Beck

‘ P ro f i t c a n b e a
d r i v i n g f a c t o r ’

67_becks.indd 67 05-07-2023 12:08