The Hidden Costs of AI with Fabio de Almeida from Dom Rock [Part 1]

AI is reshaping the way we work, create, and optimize for search. But behind the innovation are real-world costs that we rarely talk about.

In this two-part episode of Get Discovered, Fabio De Almeida, Creative Director at Dom Rock and PhD candidate in speculative design, joins Joe Walsh to unpack the hidden costs of AI.

From its environmental impact and labour demands to the biases built into large-scale training models, there's more beneath the AI curtain.

Together, they explore how SEOs, marketers, and developers can stay informed about these trade-offs and adopt AI responsibly, without losing sight of efficiency, creativity, or ethics.

What to expect from this episode:

• What “the hidden costs of AI” actually mean in a practical sense
• The environmental footprint of model training and computing power
• The unseen labour behind dataset labelling and moderation
• How bias forms in large language models and how it affects output
• The human implications of “AI at scale” across industries
• How to balance innovation with responsibility in technical and marketing workflows

AI is changing our world in many positive ways. But it’s not free, and its costs extend well beyond budgets. Understanding those trade-offs helps professionals build more sustainable, transparent, and effective use of AI in their work.

Episode resources:

- Empire of AI by Karen Hao: https://www.amazon.com/Empire-AI-Dreams-Nightmares-Altmans/dp/0593657500

- Atlas of AI by Kate Crawford: https://katecrawford.net/atlas

- The Eye of the Master by Matteo Pasquinelli: https://www.versobooks.com/products/735-the-eye-of-the-master?srsltid=AfmBOopSxFUQ76zEvZOk8x4GGZX1aHpOLXpG7PsgA7bbSf4JQ0va2pX-

- The Cost of Connection by Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejías: https://www.amazon.com/Costs-Connection-Colonizing-Appropriating-Capitalism/dp/1503603660

About Get Discovered:

Get Discovered is a podcast from Prerender.io on AI, SEO, and online discoverability. We speak with business leaders, SEOs, and AI experts on how AI is impacting our world—and what you can do to keep up. Find us on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Learn more: prerender.io/get-discovered-podcast