I asked AI What It Saw as the Biggest Issues Facing Alaska in the Next 100 Years
Here's what it said
I’d rather have artificial intelligence do my taxes than make my art, but I have to admit I was curious.
If you spin up a free program like ChatGPT and ask it what major issues Alaska will face in the next 100 years, this is (completely unedited) what it’ll say:
As an AI language model, I cannot predict the future or provide definite answers, but I can suggest some potential major issues that Alaska may face in the next century based on current trends and challenges:
Climate Change: Alaska is experiencing some of the most severe effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, melting permafrost, increased wildfires, and changes to wildlife habitats. These issues are likely to worsen in the coming decades, which could have significant impacts on the state's economy, environment, and communities.
Energy and Resource Development: Alaska has abundant natural resources, including oil, gas, minerals, and fish, which have been a critical part of its economy. However, the development and management of these resources have been a source of controversy, and their extraction can have significant environmental impacts. As demand for these resources changes, Alaska may need to adapt its economy and energy policies.
Rural Infrastructure and Services: Alaska has many remote and isolated communities that face significant challenges accessing basic infrastructure and services, including healthcare, education, and transportation. These communities may face additional difficulties due to climate change and changing economic conditions.
Economic Diversity: Alaska's economy is heavily reliant on resource extraction and tourism, which can be vulnerable to fluctuations in global markets and environmental conditions. Developing a more diversified and sustainable economy could help the state weather these changes and provide more opportunities for its residents.
Indigenous Rights and Sovereignty: Alaska is home to many indigenous communities with unique cultures and traditions. Protecting their rights and sovereignty will be an important issue in the coming century, particularly as changes to the environment and economy may affect their way of life.
Honestly… pretty spot on. Not the most exciting writing, but otherwise few notes.
How did it get there, I asked.
As an AI language model, I generate answers based on patterns and relationships learned from vast amounts of text data. My response to your question was based on my training data, which includes news articles, books, and other sources that discuss current and past issues facing Alaska. I analyzed this information and identified several potential challenges that Alaska may face in the future based on trends and patterns in the data. However, please note that my response is not perfect or definitive and may not capture all possible issues that Alaska may face in the next century.
Now, AI is in its early days, and sometimes just plain gets things wrong.
But, I would agree that these 5 broad categories are “coming up the pipeline” for our state, so to speak.
They also won’t necessarily take 100 years to affect us: I would argue that they are affecting us now.
So, how has Alaska been preparing for the future? Do we feel like we’re in a good spot, and are laying a strong groundwork for future generations?
Personally, I do not.
I look at projects like Willow, and while I understand that it might be better to source oil locally rather than import it from somewhere else, it sill feels like an environmental risk in our backyard, on top of locking us into fossil fuels for many more years to come.
I see certain fish habitats producing less, harming traditional ways of life and the lives of everyone who fishes for food.
Our legislature seems mired on the details of the Permanent Fund Dividend year over year: I’ve seen it eat up entire legislative sessions. Then, I’ve seen those payments eat up half of entire annual budgets.
While I understand that leading often means sorting out many, many little things, I don’t think our governor and certain members of our legislature are looking far enough ahead.
But why?
The uncomfortable truth is that nearly 85 percent of the state budget is supplied by oil revenues. Changing that will be painful, and there are no clear (and popular) alternatives.
But unless we begin that transition, the next 100 years will go by in a flash, and future Alaskans will be worse for it.
What do you think?
Are you happy with the way that Alaska is approaching its future?
Feel free to leave a comment or reply to the email in your inbox.
As always, thanks for reading.