Sustainability Sam: Driving Innovation with Intentional AI

Innovation doesn’t have to come at the cost of the environment. As we integrate advanced technology into our workflows, the challenge is to move beyond theory and toward practical, business-ready solutions that are both resilient and accountable.

Meet Sustainability Sam, an AI-powered facilitator designed for the Sustainability Lens Game.

Sam helps teams navigate short, focused brainstorming sessions across key business model areas—such as customers, operations, and finances—to identify sustainability upgrades.

Transparency in Every Prompt

We recognize that AI is not "impact-free". Every time an AI model processes a prompt, it triggers computation in a data center, consuming electricity and impacting greenhouse gas emissions and water use. At the Sustainability Lens Game, we treat AI use as a resource to be managed with the same rigor as any other business input. To ensure accountability, we adhere to a transparency framework that measures our impact and prioritizes efficiency over output volume.

Measuring the Footprint: Wh and Efficiency

How much energy does a typical session use? We use publicly reported, high-level estimates to provide players with a clear session footprint. Based on current public reporting, the estimated energy per text prompt varies by provider:

• Gemini (median text prompt): ~0.24 Wh

• ChatGPT (average query): ~0.34 Wh

 Estimate your session: Use this table to estimate the energy used by Sam in one game session.

Input	Typical range	Your session
Number of Gemini calls	5–15	___
Number of ChatGPT calls	5–15	___
Estimated energy (Wh)	varies	(Gemini calls × 0.24) + (ChatGPT calls × 0.34)

Example (typical classroom session)

If a session uses 10 Gemini calls or 10 ChatGPT calls:

• Gemini: 10 × 0.24 Wh = 2.4 Wh

• ChatGPT: 10 × 0.34 Wh = 3.4 Wh

  Average total = 2.9 Wh per session

For a typical session involving 10 AI calls, the energy use averages approximately 2.9 Wh. While a single session footprint is small, we believe it matters when multiplied across thousands of users. Our focus remains on "right-sizing" model choices and reducing energy per learning outcome.

How You Can Play Responsibly

Sustainability Sam is designed to be used sparingly and intentionally. Players have full control over how much they invite Sam to participate, and the game can always be played without AI assistance. To help reduce the digital footprint during your next session, consider these best practices:

• Discussion First: Let student and team discussions do the heavy lifting, using Sam primarily for facilitation and reflection.

• Be Concise: Request short outputs and avoid unnecessary regenerations.

• Batch Your Inquiries: Group your questions to minimize the number of individual AI calls.

By focusing on high-quality idea starters rather than volume, we can turn sustainability into a practical reality while remaining accountable for the tools we use.