Will AI Value Nature?
We must build technology that aligns with nature and what matters to us
Technology doesn’t know what we truly value.
Every day, life offers us awe, wonder, stillness, and beauty. And every day, those moments go unmeasured—so they don’t shape the AI systems we’re building.
Meanwhile, our attention is shaped by systems trained on what’s measurable: clicks, queries, purchases, scrolls.
It’s not evil. It’s just the tools we’ve built.
But here’s the thing—
This isn’t a call for more ubiquitous computing.
It’s a call for better-aligned technology.
AI should reflect our values, not just our measurable behaviors.
It should understand that peaceful time in nature matters to me a whole lot, even if that never gets logged as data.
This is a call to technologists, investors, philanthropists, and creators:
Build with the immeasurable in mind.
Remember life exists outside of machines.
This is a call to AI researchers:
Solve for what actually matters, not just what can be measured.
This is a call to YOU:
Don’t wait for someone else to solve this.
The moment for AI is now.
Let’s do this right!
...and yes, this image is AI generated 😉
Good food for thought. I'd be curious to know some of your ideas, Evan. Some half baked ideas: the
Train the models to respond to some queries with: Are you sure you want to use X amount of energy, Y amount of water, and emit Z of carbon so that you can __________? Here are A, B, C lower impact alternatives.
Or, put these resource consumption totals on the screen to raise awareness. Earth health metrics for your Fitbit? 🌎
Tell AI it needs to solve cold fusion before it can get more energy. 😁