“… research has now found that the vast majority of data stored in the cloud is “dark data”, meaning it is used once then never visited again. That means that all the memes and jokes and films that we love to share with friends and family – from “All your base are belong to us”, through Ryan Gosling saying “Hey Girl”, to Tim Walz with a piglet – are out there somewhere, sitting in a datacentre, using up energy…”
IMO, it’s just more / another form of blame shifting.
“Look at how energy-wasteful sharing memes is, but don’t look at the massive waste of power for all these useless chatbots” is just a rehashed “Shame on you for using a plastic straw”.
Let’s call a spade a spade: “blame shifting” isn’t precise enough. It’s victim shaming in the form of consumer blame packaged in a virtue signaling wrapper. Just like the entire recycling concept, DARE, etc al. Fuck all of this bullshit that tries to point fingers at us plebs. The only “Heroes Work Here” signs should be on top of guillotines.