New technologies, new opportunities and new thinking ramp up sustainability, CiscoLive Podcast

Denise Lee: AI can help solve the sustainability challenge

“I think AI is going to be a really big part, to unlock, to drive some of those insights, analytics, and automation, that make all of this come together much faster than it would take for us to do if we had to code and reprogram everything ourselves,” says Denise Lee, Vice President for Cisco’s Engineering Sustainability Office. AI will increase power needs in the data center. Lee sees that challenge as part of the solution. AI has a role in the larger picture of achieving suitability.

AI is being implemented everywhere, but advancements in AI infrastructure can be at odds with energy-consumption goals. Energy and data centers are the foundation for managing the AI boom, so enterprises need to build the right infrastructure to support a sustainable future, now. At Cisco Live, I spoke with Denise Lee, Vice President for Cisco's Engineering Sustainability Office, about the holistic approach Cisco is taking to reduce energy consumption needed to sustain AI and emerging technologies.

In this special podcast, Lee outlines a path towards a sustainable future that delivers on both the promise of AI, along with having the power to deliver AI. We learn about sustainability beyond the familiar discussion of regulatory compliance, environmental best practices. These important goals can be achieved, but Lee sees those goals as occurring within a broad-based approach that includes powerful financial incentives to save on costs, and to grow new opportunities: saving the planet, saving money, opening new lines of business.

CiscoLive: Sustainability Focus

Lee describes the changing sustainability landscape. “I had one session at the whole show, and it was the only session talking about sustainability…  This year, we have over 55 sessions across the show. We have 12 hands-on demos in the sustainability zone, and we have countless sessions.” We learn how sustainability has migrated to being seen as a central and critical part of business operations. Lee also describes how companies that are implementing sustainability changes are noticeably outperforming their peers. The rapid growth of data center energy has caught people’s attention. The economic race to sustainability is on.

Lee offers a glimpse at fresh thinking and new products that my well revolutionize how we transport energy and data. The new thinking will include new processes and new approaches to renewability. “Now renewable energy is what really makes all of this possible because if you can't harvest renewable energy, store it and then use it accordingly.”