AI is not automatically sustainable..
The real question is not whether we use AI.
The real question is whether we use the right AI for the right task.
Premium AI for every small task is like using a jumbo jet to buy groceries. It works, but it is absurd.
In the 1990s, the world criticized factories for wasting energy. Today, we are building massive data centers, running powerful GPUs, and calling it "innovation" — even when the workload is trivial.
That is not innovation.
That is digital waste.
If companies are serious about ESG, computational efficiency must be part of the conversation.
- Smart routing matters.
- Small models matter.
- Detached systems matter.
- Agentic decision-making matters.
Not every request deserves the most powerful model.
The future will not belong to companies that use the most AI.
It will belong to companies that use AI intelligently.
AI can help sustainability.
But only if humans stop using it carelessly.