The Ethical Dumpster Fire of Using ChatGPT as Your Work Slave
Using ChatGPT as a behind-the-scenes assistant feels oddly familiar. Historically, many powerful men relied on their wives to handle mundane, draining tasks that kept the engine running while they focused on shining in public. Similarly, I use ChatGPT—not for creative sparks—but to tackle time-consuming chores like shortening paragraphs, generating citations, or finding elusive words during late-night brain fog.
As a sole parent juggling multiple jobs and bills, I’m not looking for a partner but a secretary. This AI bot fits the bill perfectly, freeing up mental space for the creative work that really matters. But this convenience carries a hidden cost.
Why So Many Women Need a “Wife”
Back in 2016, balancing full-time freelancing with family life meant carrying a crushing mental and domestic load. Feeding kids, managing schedules, cleaning, organizing—all fell on me. I once gave ChatGPT a list of around 60 family-related tasks and asked for a time estimate. The answer? 80-85 hours a week.
That’s like working two full-time jobs simultaneously. Add paid work on top, and it’s equivalent to 17-18 hours a day, every day, with no breaks. No surprise that women are exhausted. Data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey confirms women still do the majority of housework, with little change over 20 years.
Though no longer married, the load hasn’t lightened. With growing kids and rising living costs, the challenge to just get by is real. Using ChatGPT as a “slave” is not just convenience but a feminist correction—reclaiming what historically was invisible female labor that powered ‘great’ work.
This tech assistant helps shed tedious tasks and lets me focus on writing and thinking clearly. But AI tools like ChatGPT are far from perfect solutions.
Spelling Out the AI Dumpster Fire
Many AI models, including ChatGPT, have been trained on massive amounts of content scraped without permission—including books like Troll Hunting and Man-Made: How the Bias of the Past Is Being Built into the Future. This raises serious ethical questions about using tools built on stolen intellectual property.
One author affected by this points out the paradox of using AI tools created from the theft of her own work. While boycotting unethical companies sounds ideal, staying relevant in today’s workforce means becoming adept with AI. Ignoring this risks pushing out women and older workers, worsening inequality.
Is AI Really Leveling the Domestic Load?
A philosopher specializing in ethical leadership warns that freeing time with AI won’t fix broken systems. Instead, new tasks often fill any freed-up hours. Making outdated systems more efficient doesn’t solve core issues, it just reshuffles the deck.
Deception and Disclosure
Using AI without disclosure raises questions about honesty. Some argue transparency is essential, especially amid growing mistrust in media. The EU’s AI Act even requires AI-generated content to be labeled.
Others say it’s less clear. For instance, writers commonly don’t disclose using proofreaders or spell-checkers. If AI is just another tool like these, disclosure might not be necessary. But if AI is a co-author, transparency should be considered carefully and honestly.
The Environmental Cost
Every ChatGPT query consumes significant resources, including liters of water. This environmental impact is often overlooked. Using AI indiscriminately isn’t sustainable.
Beyond environmental harm, there are ethical costs: intellectual property theft, ecosystem strain, and exploitative labor conditions for workers training AI to be less toxic. Before relying on AI, ask yourself two questions:
- Is what I’m doing necessary?
- Are the harms caused proportional to the benefits gained?
For writers, AI can be a powerful assistant but it’s crucial to weigh convenience against ethical and environmental costs. Use these tools consciously and with awareness of the broader implications.
For those looking to deepen their AI skills responsibly, consider exploring AI courses on ChatGPT and ethical AI use at Complete AI Training.
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