- Telekom introduces nine principles for green AI
- Artificial intelligence increases energy efficiency in data centers
- Use of AI solutions for more sustainability
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) can contribute to climate protection. For example, by helping to produce energy-efficiently or distribute energy according to demand. At the same time, the technology consumes a lot of energy, as well as raw materials for the hardware and water for chip production or cooling of data centers. This is due to the enormous computing power required for AI applications. Deutsche Telekom is therefore looking at AI holistically: the aim is to exploit the benefits while keeping energy and resource requirements as low as possible. The group introduces principles for green AI that support the sustainable development and use of the technology. Deutsche Telekom is already using artificial intelligence in its data centers and networks to increase energy efficiency. The company is also promoting AI solutions that ensure greater sustainability.
New principles to calibrate AI for sustainability
“Our aim is to keep the energy consumption of AI as efficient as possible. We are setting clear guidelines with our nine principles for green AI. We have been leveraging the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence for years in many areas of our group. We want to exploit the potential of this technology in such a way that it benefits people without causing harm. That is why we introduced guidelines for the ethical use of AI back in 2018,” says Claudia Nemat, Member of the Board of Management for Technology and Innovation at Deutsche Telekom. The principles provide guidance on how AI solutions can be developed and used in a more ecologically sustainable way. For example, they address the multiple use of AI models or programming according to the logic of “green coding”. This means that the software code is written in such a way that the program uses as few resources as possible and minimizes energy consumption. Risks can also be countered at an early stage. For example, the principles include making the CO2 footprint transparent and analyzing how changes to hardware and software affect it.
All nine principles for green AI can be found here. They supplement Deutsche Telekom's ethical AI guidelines. In this way, Deutsche Telekom aims to make the development and use of AI in its own Group and in its supply chain more sustainable. And also sets an impulse for others: for companies and institutions as well as for politics and science. The aim is to calibrate AI for sustainability right from the start.
Artificial intelligence for greater energy efficiency
Sustainability also plays an important role in data centers. Artificial intelligence is therefore used to optimize the operating processes. The technology helps to make data centers more energy-efficient and reduce operating costs. One example is the control of cooling systems. Artificial intelligence calculates the expected IT load. Based on this, the cooling systems are intelligently controlled and, for example, the well water cooling in the data centers is adjusted.
Deutsche Telekom uses and promotes AI solutions in many areas that contribute to greater sustainability. In the mobile network, for example, an AI solution puts antennas into “sleep mode” when they are not needed, thus saving energy. One example of process optimization through artificial intelligence is the AI Vision Suite. The AI identifies objects and analyzes image, video and 3D data in real time and takes over quality control, for example. This enables defects to be detected at an early stage and material waste to be avoided. Artificial intelligence can also contribute to environmental protection and disaster prevention. For example, the European Union's Copernicus program, which T-Systems manages, provides an extensive collection of freely accessible satellite data. Based on corresponding analyses, artificial intelligence derives trends and can, for example, identify heat cells in cities or impending floods. Authorities and people can then take preventive and countermeasures at an early stage.
Visit us at DIGITAL X 2024DIGITAL X is coming back to Cologne on September 18th and 19th, 2024. With stages, marketplaces, brand houses and top-class speakers, Cologne's city center will become a world exhibition of digitalization in 2024 once more. Megatrends of the future and digital solutions will be brought to life - in the areas of future of work, connected business, security and sustainability. DIGITAL X is Europe's largest cross-industry digitalization initiative, organized by Deutsche Telekom with more than 300 national and international partners involved.
On September 18, Prof. Dr. Antonio Krüger (Computer Scientist & CEO German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence), Claudia Nemat (Deutsche Telekom Board Member for Technology and Innovation), Melanie Kubin-Hardewig (Vice President Group Corporate Responsibility at Deutsche Telekom), and moderator Eckart von Hirschhausen will discuss sustainability and AI. The panel “Human-centered AI must be green AI” will take place from 1:30pm -2:05pm at the Sustainability Stage (Aachener Str. 5, 50674 Cologne).
For more details about DIGITAL X, visit www.telekom.com/digital-x-special.
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