Can AI Be Green? with Dr. Samuel Feng

In this second episode of our special AI-focused series — brought to you in partnership with Veolia Near & Middle East and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi — Nadine Zidani sits down with Dr. Samuel Feng, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and researcher at the Sorbonne Center for Artificial Intelligence.

This conversation dives into the growing conversation around Green AI — the movement to make artificial intelligence more energy-efficient, transparent, and aligned with climate goals. Together, they explore the hidden environmental costs of AI, the race to build bigger models, and the groundbreaking work of projects like DeepSeek.

In this episode, you will gain insights on:

• Why AI training, not usage, is the real energy burden.
  
• How data centers and model scaling threaten climate targets.
  
• What DeepSeek tells us about efficient AI design.
  
• How incentives need to shift to prioritize sustainability in tech.
  
• Whether a truly “green AI” future is even realistic.