On May 31, Ken Xu, Solution Architect Director for Alibaba Cloud Singapore, delivered a captivating and thought-provoking talk at The Conscious Leaders Bootcamp powered by Alibaba Cloud. His discussion revolved around a profound and intriguing question: “Will Artificial Intelligence Make Us Better Humans?” Here, we share the 5 highlights from his talk, exploring the transformative potential of AI in our daily lives, enterprises, and sustainable practices.
Ken Xu kicked off his presentation with a powerful message about the pivotal role AI plays in today’s business landscape. He emphasised its widespread influence and transformative power. “Every enterprise is trying to embrace and use AI,” he remarked, highlighting the universal adoption of AI technologies across different sectors. Xu stressed that AI is far more than a trendy term—it’s woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. “Who uses ChatGPT daily? Everyone is actually using it,” he pointed out, illustrating how AI tools are seamlessly integrated into our communication, decision-making, and efficiency processes.
Here are some of the key points he shared.
1. AI at the Heart of Alibaba’s Operations
Alibaba is a dazzling beacon of AI’s limitless possibilities, weaving it seamlessly into every facet of its operations. Xu revealed some jaw-dropping numbers:
● There are 3 billion image searches every day
● 98% of customer service is managed by chatbots
● 40 million households are benefiting from Tmall Genius
● Alibaba powers 1.3 billion transactions with AI-driven translation services, underscoring AI’s massive impact on customer experiences and operational prowess
2. Productivity and Environmental Impact
Ken Xu highlighted the impressive productivity benefits of using generative AI in business, noting that it improves users’ performance by an average of 66% across three case studies. The impact is particularly significant for more complex tasks, with less-skilled workers benefiting the most from AI use. However, this increased productivity comes with environmental considerations. Ken pointed out that AI servers’ electricity demand is projected to be at least ten times higher by 2026 compared to 2022. To illustrate this, he compared the energy consumption of different AI services: each Google search consumes about 0.3 watt-hours (Wh) of electricity, while each request to OpenAI’s ChatGPT consumes approximately 2.9 Wh. This highlights the need to balance AI’s productivity gains with its environmental footprint.
3. Pursuing Sustainable AI Solutions
Recognising the pressing environmental issues, Xu championed innovative and eco-friendly AI strategies. He introduced a suite of initiatives, including:
● Green Ops which helps optimise cloud usage and enhance cloud or infrastructure utilisation
● Energy AI enhances energy efficiency and helps monitor and optimise electricity usage electricity usage, particularly focusing on air conditioning and lighting
● Alibaba Cloud utilised Carbon AI during last year’s Olympic eSports event held at Suntec City to minimise carbon emissions from their temporary event construction.
● Business Workflow AI allows enterprises to increase their document processing for their ESG reporting
These are all geared towards creating a more sustainable approach to computing. These forward-thinking solutions are crafted to minimise environmental impact while harnessing the power of AI to promote sustainability and efficiency in business operations.
4. Practical Applications of AI
Ken Xu illustrated practical applications of AI across various domains, enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability. AI can provide valuable advice for analysing IT infrastructure, optimising storage, and improving server usage. It also plays a crucial role in enhancing energy efficiency in business operations, such as optimising HVAC operations and lighting systems, and scheduling solar power usage to save costs. Additionally, AI assists in carbon accounting and environmental management through applications like Energy Expert, a carbon footprint assistant AI that ensures high efficiency in carbon accounting.
Furthermore, AI uses natural language processing to conduct product carbon footprint (PCF) modelling, retrieve emission factors, and handle carbon knowledge queries. These applications showcase AI’s potential in driving both efficiency and environmental stewardship, making complex tasks more manageable and sustainable.
5. Enhancing Document Processing and Public Engagement
AI’s utility extends to improving document processing, particularly in areas like ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting. AI’s role in improving processing time for ESG documents, standardising format, extracting information, and summarising content enhances accuracy and efficiency in document management. Furthermore, AI plays a crucial role in public engagement, especially in promoting sustainability messages. AI can help publicise and advertise sustainability messages effectively leveraging its capabilities to raise awareness and drive positive change in public attitudes towards sustainability.
Ken Xu’s talk at The Conscious Leaders Bootcamp was a captivating deep dive into AI’s game-changing potential. He illustrated how AI can revolutionise enterprise operations and boost productivity, while also driving sustainability and enhancing public engagement. AI, when used responsibly and creatively, offers the promise to work well alongside us. Embracing AI’s power can lead us to a future that is not only more efficient and sustainable but also more enlightened.
If this type of content is up your alley, make sure to join us at our next The Conscious Leaders Bootcamp!
This article is in partnership with Alibaba Cloud