Water use and environmental impact are convenient moral reasons to paint AI as evil, but personally I don't buy this reasoning since people are totally fine with other environmentally questionable things that make our lives easier like internet access, streaming services, factory farming, and extensive international travel.
The reality is that AI is here to stay. We can't close Pandora's box, and most people are going to use it because if used responsibly it is an amazing tool. I resent people who just write or create art using AI with minimal human input, but I think that will die down as people stop being so enamored with the novelty of it all.
For me, the big question is how it is going to impact the economy and white collar professions. Jury's still out on that one!
Ugh
Talk about hating calculators. I've been writing for close to two decades, and I don't see a problem with using AI to research (as if we can't double-check sources), brainstorm, or make suggestions for polishing up your writing. Big difference between practical uses and using it only to generate text with your name slapped on it. This purist mindset, anti or pro, is ridiculously immature and short-sighted to me. And the environmental impact (excluding training) is generally comparable to gaming or streaming. Shitty data centers are just shitty data centers in places with shitty regulations. There are greater concerns about AI, and all people can argue about is whether or not using it makes you an artist. Wild.
Edit: Streaming can be more energy-intensive. Definitely more than text generation. It all depends on your everyday use.