Olio use of AI

How does Olio reconcile using AI with being a sustainability-focused platform?

While it's true that AI can be energy-intensive, it's important to understand how energy consumption is distributed across the AI lifecycle. According to ChatGPT, about 80-90% of energy usage happens during the training phase of AI models.

The energy required to run the models, which is what Olio does, only accounts for around 10-20% of the total energy consumption.

Olio’s use of AI is minimal, and when compared to the positive environmental impact we generate as a platform, it's clear that our overall contribution remains highly sustainable. In fact, the carbon footprint from all of Olio’s operations (including servers, app, website, and our remote-first team) is less than 5% of the total carbon emissions we're saving as a platform.

Additionally, AI helps us work more efficiently and get closer to profitability, ensuring that we can continue making a positive impact on the climate, biodiversity, water conservation, and local communities for years to come.

Finally, we use the most cost-effective AI models available, which are typically smaller and less energy-intensive. This means that the environmental impact of the AI we use is significantly lower than that of more complex models. We are committed to balancing innovation with our sustainability goals, and AI is just one of many tools that help us deliver on our mission.