This is literally why the EU mandates appliance energy efficiency.
It's never a binary thing. "Is using energy good or bad?" is a stupid question which can only provide stupid answers. It has to be placed in the context of whether it's proportionate to benefit.
Things which burn a lot of energy for little benefit - and in the case of AI, often negative benefit - end up more towards the "bad".
That's a fair point.
I hadn't considered that societies rightfully impose standards on these things.
I consider it too early to judge the cost-benefit, but it's fair that others might have already evaluated that. I rescind my comment.