To Gen or Not To Gen: The Ethical Use of Generative AI - My Not So Private Tech Life

Johannes Link

Software Therapist

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This blog entry started out as a translation of an article that my colleague Jakob and I wrote for a German magazine.<br>After that we added more stuff and enriched it by additional references and sources.<br>We aim at giving an overview about many - but not all - aspects that we learned about GenAI and<br>that we consider relevant for an informed ethical opinion.<br>As for the depth of information, we are just scratching the surface;<br>hopefully, the loads of references can lead you to diving in deeper wherever you want.<br>Since we are both software developers our views are biased and distorted.<br>Keep also in mind that any writing about a “hot” topic like this is nothing but a snapshot of what we think to know today.<br>By the time you read it the authors’ knowledge and opinions have already changed.

Last Update: January 17, 2026.

Table of Contents

Abstract

About us

Johannes Link

Jakob Schnell

Introduction

Ethics, what does that even mean?

Clarification of terms

Basics

Can LLMs think?

What LLMs are good at

GenAI as a knowledge source

GenAI in software development

Actual vs. promised benefits

Harmful aspects of GenAI

GenAI is an ecological disaster

Power

Water

Electronic Waste

GenAI threatens education and science

GenAI is destroying the free internet.

GenAI is a danger to democracy

GenAI versus human creativity

Digital colonialism

Political aspects

Conclusion

Can there be ethical GenAI?

How to act ethically

Abstract

ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot. The number of generative AI applications (GenAI) and models is growing every day.<br>In the field of software development in particular, code generation, coding assistants and vibe coding are on everyone’s lips.<br>Like any technology, GenAI has two sides. The great promises are offset by numerous disadvantages:<br>immense energy consumption, mountains of electronic waste, the proliferation of misinformation on the internet<br>and the dubious handling of intellectual property are just a few of the many negative aspects.<br>Ethically responsible behaviour requires us to look at all the advantages,<br>disadvantages and collateral damages of a technology before we use it or recommend its use to others.

In this article, we examine both sides and eventually arrive at our personal and naturally subjective answer<br>to whether and how GenAI can be used in an ethical manner.

About us

Johannes Link

… has been programming for over 40 years, 30 of them professionally.<br>Since the end of the last century, extreme programming and other human-centred<br>software development approaches have been at the heart of his work.<br>The meaningful and ethical implementation of his private and professional life has been his driving force for years.<br>He has been involved with GenAI since the early days of OpenAI’s GPT language models.<br>More about Johannes can be found at https://johanneslink.net.

Jakob Schnell

… studied mathematics and computer science and has been working as a software developer for 5 years.<br>He works as a lecturer and course director in university and non-university settings.<br>As a youth leader, he also comes into regular contact with the lives of children and young people.<br>In all these environments, he observes the growing use of GenAI and its impact on people.

Introduction

Ethics, what does that even mean?

Ethical behaviour sounds like the title of a boring university seminar.<br>However, if you look at the wikipedia article of the term 1,<br>you will find that ‘how individuals behave when confronted with ethical dilemmas’ is at the heart of the definition.<br>So it’s about us as humans taking responsibility<br>and weighing up whether and how we do or don’t do certain things based on our values.

We have to consider ethical questions in our work because all the technologies<br>we use and promote have an impact on us and on others.<br>Therefore, they are neither neutral nor without alternative.<br>It is about weighing up the advantages and potential against the damage and risks;<br>and that applies to everyone, not just us personally.<br>Because often those who benefit from a development are different from those<br>who suffer the consequences.

As individuals and as a society, we have the right to decide<br>whether and how we want to use technologies.<br>Ideally, this should be in a way that benefits us all;<br>but under no circumstances should it be in a way that benefits a small group and harms the majority.

The crux of the matter is that ethical behaviour does not come for free.<br>Ethics are neither efficient nor do they enhance your economic profit.<br>That means that by acting according to your values you will, at some point, have to give something up.<br>If you’re not willing to do that, you don’t have values - just opinions.

Clarification of terms

When we write ‘generative AI’ (GenAI), we are referring...