As I read online, I bookmark resources I find interesting and useful. I share these links about once a month here on my blog. This post includes links related to AI ethics and energy use as well as some AI image and video generation tools.
AI ethics and energy use
Is Any AI Use Ethical? – Moving at the Speed of Creativity
Wes Fryer shares his thoughts on differing views of ethics and AI. Wes is not ethically opposed to all AI, but that doesn’t mean he supports all AI use blindly either. He shares his thoughts on opposing techno-fascism and concerns about unethical uses of AI without rejecting AI entirely.
I am convinced AI technologies present transformative capabilities as a “cognitive force multiplier,” and have willingly drank a healthy portion of the “AI Kool-Aid” and “AI hype cycle.” I’ve said and still believe that AI represents a transformative leap forward in our shared human history of communication as well as information economy / third wave work. At this point, I am not and do not want to be an “AI conscientious objector,” refusing to voluntarily use it in all contexts. I am an advocate for its ethical and beneficial uses, and plan to remain one.
—Wes Fryer
Creating AI Art Responsibly: How to Navigate AI Legal Risks
These recommendations are a good starting point for thinking about how to use AI images and video ethically and to reduce your risk.
Set Clear AI Use GuidelinesChoose Tools That Protect YouBe Careful What You PromptUse Approved ReferencesReview Before ReleaseSeek Expert Guidance, Mitigate AI Legal Risks —Onward Search blog
Our approach to energy innovation and AI’s environmental footprint
Google published a technical report on the environmental impact of AI, including calculating the cost of training models (not just individual queries). They reported energy use much lower than many earlier estimates, partly due to improvements in efficiency.
Over a 12-month period, while delivering higher-quality responses, the median energy consumption and carbon footprint per Gemini Apps text prompt decreased by factors of 33x and 44x, respectively. Based on our recent analysis, we found that our work on efficiency is proving effective and the energy consumed per median prompt is equivalent to watching television for less than nine seconds.
—Ben Gomes
AI image and video generation tools
Ideogram Character
This is another tool I’m adding to my list to test out. Give Ideogram a single reference image and then generate multiple remixed images. In the demo, I notice that the expressions don’t seem to change much, so that might be a limitation. The basic character creation is free, with additional features for more precise editing on their paid subscription plan.
WaveSpeedAI
WaveSpeed gives you access to multiple different image and video generation tools by paying for credits based on what you actually use. This looks like a promising option to test out tools or generate a few videos without committing to a larger subscription.
MeiGen-AI/InfiniteTalk
MeiGen-AI/InfiniteTalk is an open source AI video generation tool that supports image-to-video and video-to-video generation. This tool can create longer video clips, not just the 5-10 seconds of many other tools. It’s open source, so this link goes to the Github for the project with instructions to install it locally. For a local model, the results look very promising. Installing and running it will take some technical proficiency though.
Additional curated resources
Check out my complete library of links or my previous bookmarks posts.
Upcoming events
Beyond Stock Photos: Generate Custom Images with AI
September 24, 2025 at 1 PM Eastern / 10AM Pacific
start2evolve L&D Virtual Conference
In this session, you’ll learn how to master the visual language needed to generate unique, custom images using AI. You’ll practice the art of crafting image prompts, exploring how to clearly describe different styles, textures, layouts, consistency, and other visual elements. We’ll review prompt strategies for generating icons and visual metaphors to support training. Through hands-on activities, you’ll see how slight differences in your prompts can significantly change your results.
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Set the Stage: Make Elearning Relevant and Authentic with Scenarios
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 12PM Pacific / 3PM Eastern
“What does this have to do with me?” That’s often the first question learners ask about elearning. Many instructional designers struggle when faced with dry or dense content. Often, the training feels disconnected from learners’ day-to-day work. Because learners view it as irrelevant, they’re less likely to remember their training and less motivated to change their behavior. In this webinar, you’ll learn how to create relevant and authentic scenarios to enhance your eLearning and improve performance.
Register for this free webinar through Training Mag Network.
Stock Photos to Stunning: Generate Custom Images with AI
Friday, November 14, 2025 at 10AM Pacific
DevLearn in Las Vegas
Are you tired of using the same generic stock images and cutout characters over and over in your training? In this session, you’ll learn how to use AI image tools to generate unique images for your elearning and training programs. By the end of this session, you’ll have prompts and tools to generate custom, consistent images for your training.
Create images with consistent styles and charactersCompare image generation tools so you can pick the best ones for your needsTips for writing image generation promptsMinimize bias and other pitfalls in AI image generation
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