Computer Science Professor Questions Tech Industry, Advocates ‘Vegetarian’ Stance on Generative AI

Brent A. Yorgey, a computer science professor at Hendrix College in Arkansas, is concerned that the technology industry’s pursuit of growth and generative AI is pulling software work away from serving people and the public interest. He argues that students should understand before entering the industry that technology choices involve human relationships, justice and professional ethics.

In a recent open letter, Yorgey offered six recommendations, urging students to put human relationships, fairness and justice, and personal values ahead of pay and industry prestige. Citing structural concerns about the data used by large language models, labor exploitation, the concentration of power and environmental costs, he has chosen not to use generative AI and describes himself as a “generative AI vegetarian.”