Australia Kicks Kids Off Social Media + Is the A.I. Water Issue Fake? + Hard Fork Wrapped
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This episode of Hard Fork covers three major tech stories shaping the end of 2024. First, Australia has implemented the world's most aggressive social media ban for children under 16, affecting 10 major platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The hosts examine whether this represents a turning point where tech companies have "lost the argument" around child safety and discuss the potential for other countries to follow suit. (06:00) Next, blogger Andy Masley joins to debunk what he calls the "fake" narrative around AI water usage, arguing that individual ChatGPT prompts use negligible water compared to other activities and that the focus should shift to more pressing environmental concerns like energy consumption. Finally, the hosts present their first-ever "Hard Fork Wrapped," reviewing their favorite statistics from 2024 and providing updates on major stories including Trump's executive order targeting state AI regulations and China's continued advancement in AI development.
Speakers
Kevin Roose
Kevin Roose is a technology columnist at The New York Times, where he covers artificial intelligence, social media, and digital culture. He is the author of several books on technology and has been recognized as one of the leading voices covering the intersection of technology and society.
Casey Newton
Casey Newton is the founder and editor of Platformer, a newsletter focused on the intersection of democracy and social media platforms. He previously worked as a senior editor at The Verge covering technology policy and platform governance, establishing himself as a key voice in tech accountability journalism.
Andy Masley
Andy Masley is the director of Effective Altruism DC and a former high school physics teacher who has become a prominent voice debunking AI environmental narratives. He writes "The Weird Turn Pro" newsletter on Substack, where he provides detailed analysis challenging common misconceptions about AI's water usage and environmental impact.
Key Takeaways
Australia's Social Media Ban Represents a Historic Shift
Australia's implementation of a ban on social media for children under 16 marks the first time a democracy has taken such aggressive action against major platforms. (05:22) This affects 10 major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and others, requiring age verification rather than simple self-reporting. The law emerged after the wife of a state premier read "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt, showing how academic research can influence policy. This represents a moment where platforms have "lost the argument" on child safety, with other countries like Denmark, Norway, and Malaysia already pursuing similar bans.
Individual AI Water Usage Is Negligible Compared to Other Activities
Despite widespread concerns about AI's water consumption, individual ChatGPT prompts use approximately 0.26 milliliters of water on-site, rising to about 2 milliliters when including off-site electricity generation costs. (27:27) To put this in perspective, the average American's daily water footprint is 1,600 liters, making a single prompt 800,000 times smaller than daily consumption. To increase your total water footprint by just 1%, you would need to send 8,000 prompts in a day. Not buying a single pair of jeans saves the equivalent of 2 million ChatGPT prompts in water usage.
Focus Should Shift from Water to Energy Concerns with AI
While AI's water usage remains relatively small, energy consumption presents a more significant environmental challenge. (35:18) AI's share of the national electric grid is projected to grow from 0.5% to 5% by 2030, representing an order of magnitude larger increase than water usage, which may only reach 0.5% of national consumption. This has already led to problematic outcomes like coal plants staying open longer to meet energy demands, making electricity the more pressing environmental concern.
School Phone Bans Provide a Blueprint for Social Media Restrictions
The success of school phone bans in the US offers insights into how broader social media restrictions might work. (14:31) Despite initial concerns about communication disruption and parental access, these bans have been "universally successful" according to teachers and parents. Students have adapted by returning to "ancient technology" like exchanging phone numbers for direct communication. This suggests that removing social media access may lead to positive adaptations rather than the catastrophic outcomes critics predict.
CEOs Are Increasingly Unprepared for Real Journalistic Scrutiny
The intense reaction to the Roblox CEO interview reveals how tech executives have become accustomed to friendly, non-confrontational podcast environments. (67:29) Many CEOs now prefer creator-hosted podcasts over traditional journalism, sometimes paying $25,000 for guaranteed favorable coverage. This has left them unprepared for basic accountability questions about safety and platform policies, despite being billionaires who have profited massively from their platforms' success.
Statistics & Facts
- Australia's social media ban affects 10 platforms and requires age verification for anyone under 16, with platforms using video selfie age estimation rather than simple drop-down menus. (05:29)
- Individual ChatGPT prompts use approximately 0.26 milliliters of water on-site, or about 2 milliliters including off-site electricity generation costs - 800,000 times less than the average American's daily water footprint of 1,600 liters. (27:27)
- Hard Fork produced 3,524 minutes of content in 2024 (about 59 hours) and generated 1.4 million hours of listening time on Spotify alone, equivalent to 160 years of continuous listening. (49:52)
