🧵 I was a panelist at the #Charity #AI #Conference yesterday, hosted by the ‪@dsc-charity.bsky.social‬. One recurring question: What’s the true environmental cost of all this AI? ⚡️ (1/7)

Because weirdly, there’s a growing field exploring the use of brain organoids as a form of biological computing. 🧬 Yes, you read that right: miniature brain-like clusters of human cells (nicknamed “wetware”) that can be used as a processor for things like AI. This isn’t sci-fi 👽 (3/7)

A Swiss company called #FinalSpark is already renting out these brain organoids for around $500/month.💰 They use less energy and could be a low-carbon future for AI if the tech develops further. 🌿 Of course, there are big ethical questions 🚨 (4/7)

Could these organoids ever develop consciousness? 🧘‍♂️ What are the limits of using human tissue for computing? 🧬 Who owns a piece of lab-grown brain that's doing your data processing? 🧫 But it’s worth sitting with the idea that biological computing might be a path to more sustainable AI. (5/7)

Especially if we want AI in the social sector to be part of the solution and not another source of extraction and harm. 🚩 Currently, we don't need to pick between ethics, climate, and innovation but we do need to ask questions about what our tech is doing to people and to the planet 🌍 (6/7)