AI Baby Trend

by Caroline Onyedinma

What do you think—creepy or cute?

 

 These AI baby video clips are everywhere, celebs with chubby cheeks, toddler voices, and full-grown attitude.

Drake in diapers and diamonds.
The cast of Friends at recess.
Baby Tamar Braxton with her edges laid and lip gloss poppin’, going toe-to-toe with infant NeNe.

(Too funny. But whoever pushed that baby hairline back that far needs immediate jail time.)

Anywayyyy—they’re probably in for a rude awakening when they find out what those clips are actually costing the planet.

You, though? You follow me.
Caroline, business and content coach, conversion scientist, and yeah…AI enthusiast.
I mean, after 20 years in tech as a software engineer, you already know: I use tech to get receipts and results.

So I’m going to give you the heads up…
Mother Earth is getting real cranky out here.
She’s not just tired, she’s about to throw a full-blown planetary tantrum.
And no, you can’t just stick her on the naughty step and walk away. The meltdown is coming.

Here’s what’s really going on:

We’ve all used tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to whip up content. Maybe a food, a recipe, a video script, and an IG caption. Those? Super lightweight.
MIT says using text-based AI is like microwaving a snack for a millisecond. No biggie.

But video generation tools like Sora, Google’s Veo, and ChatGPT’s image + video generators?
Totally different beast.

They run on complex diffusion models, and those things are straight-up power hungry, energy gluttons.

Just one 5-second AI video can consume 3.4 million joules of energy.
That’s like running your microwave for 3.5 hours.
Per. Clip.

And no, that’s not my opinion. That’s MIT-level facts.

So why should you care?

Because now you’ve got thousands of creators flooding the internet with AI baby avatars, fake movie trailers, cartoon podcast clips, all for the vibes.

Multiply that 3.4 million joules by the millions of clips being made?

It’s giving: every light in the house on, fridge door wide open, AC blasting like Antarctica moved in…
All. Day. Long.

Just to watch Baby Gordon Ramsay scream at mashed potatoes.

Funny? Absolutely.
But it’s also invisible consumption—and that’s the danger.

It feels harmless, but it’s adding up fast.
And in the long run?
It’s not just wasteful—it’s potentially deadly.

You’ve noticed the weird weather, right?

The floods. The heatwaves.
The fact that summer’s out here wearing winter’s shoes?

It’s mid-June, and it’s rained nearly every day. WTH?!

We’re out here laughing… while the planet is glitching like an old iPhone.

So what’s that got to do with Baby Ice Cube?

Everything.

All that AI-generated video content creates a massive strain on data centers, those giant server farms that keep the internet running 24/7.

And those data centers?
They pull power straight from the electrical grid, which is still mostly fueled by good ol’ coal, oil, and gas. You know, the same stuff that’s been cooking the planet for decades.

More load = more fuel burned = more emissions.

I know what you’re thinking:
“All this nerdy talk, Caroline—I thought you were a business coach?”

I am now.
But before that? I earned a Master’s in Information Technology from one of the top institutions in the world…
Then spent 20 years building software, leading tech teams, and working with AI long before it became a buzzword.

It’s the ex-engineer in me.
(You can take the coach outta tech, but you can’t take the tech outta the coach.)

 

So every time you render a clip of Baby Nicki in a booster seat rapping “Super Bass”?
There’s a little more laughter in the world.
A little more carbon in the air.
And a little more pressure on the planet.

And the truth is, the fancier the tech, the heavier the toll.
The more realistic and complex the content, the more energy it takes to make it.
The more energy it takes to make it, the more power the servers demand.
The more power they demand, the more fossil fuels we burn.
And the more we burn, the faster the planet pays the price.

And when that power gets poured into throwaway content? That’s a high price for low-impact LOLs.

That’s why experts are pushing for an AI version of the Energy Star label, just like you see on your fridge or washing machine. So you can actually see which tools are energy vampires, and which ones are built for efficiency, and choose your AI tools responsibly.

The reason that software that uses AI should offer an option to go without it, too.

Some folks are even calling for AI disclaimers, like digital warning labels:
“This content was generated using AI, which consumes X amount of energy.”
Just like cigarette packs that say “Smoking causes cancer.”

But let’s be honest, those warnings don’t stop people from lighting up.

And I’m not saying this should stop you from using AI either.
We need it. I use it. I teach it.
But just because we can use AI for anything doesn’t mean we should use it for everything.

We might not control how the tools are built,
but we absolutely control how we use them—
and more importantly, what we create with them.

We get to choose what we put on the timeline… and just because something goes viral doesn’t mean it builds value
True talk: If you become known for pumping out “AI slop” (yep, that’s the real term)—
you might get some likes…but you’ll lose your positioning.

 

We can use high-powered, energy-hungry tools to chase fleeting trends.
We can choose to create fun-filled, AI-generated viral videos that land us in the friend zone…
or high-impact content with the power to shift perspective.
To serve.
To solve.
To build real connection.
To position ourselves as thought leaders.
To plant both feet in the sales zone.

As coaches, consultants, and creators, if our mission is to expose, educate, empower, or enlighten…
 …that path doesn’t come through baby filters or cartoon versions of world leaders talking smack.

Storytelling is the vehicle that actually gets us there.

If you want to make serious money in your business, you need messaging that moves people.
Stories that shift perspectives.
That build movements.
And systems that sell 24/7.

If you want to attract presold, premium clients who respect what you do and pay in full—
stop creating just for vibes…
and start creating for value.

Choose storytelling to do it.

And that’s exactly what I’m teaching in my upcoming free Storytelling for Sales Masterclass.

👉 Grab your seat here. (It’s free, but powerful.)

Let’s make content that doesn’t just entertain the algorithm
(or piss off Mother Nature)...
but positions you as the expert, builds trust, and moves your audience to act.

 

See you in class,
Caroline