Manoush Zomorodi

She's an MIT conservationist and environmental AI researcher.

And her point is,

Yeah, but we don't have to use those massive AI models that take up all that energy.

There are ways of using very small, discrete data sets that give you a ton of information.

So, for example, iNaturalist, the app where people upload, you know, photos.

There are scientists who are using that and discovering all kinds of crazy things that are like you wouldn't be looking for in your picture of a blue jay, but behind the blue jay is a leaf.

And that explains a lot about what time of year it is and why that blue jay has that kind of plumage at that point.

And her point was, I don't need a huge AI to do that.

I can take these smaller sets.

They don't use as much power.

They have oversized benefits.

And when we say AI, that doesn't mean everything.

Right.

So that's where I feel like we need to be more specific.

Mine is a little bit of a follow-up on that.

So we just did an episode about this idea of restoring trust in government by being really boring and making things just work, like being able to renew your driver's license or –

It's dreamy.

It's the weirdest thing.

Yes.

So this can happen.