Our Founding Partner, Alexander Chikunov, spoke with TechRound this week about what sustainable AI really means for UK startups — and why much of the current debate is missing the point.
Discussions around AI sustainability often focus on carbon footprints and energy consumption. While these factors matter, they are only part of the picture. True sustainability is not just about using less energy — it’s about knowing when AI is genuinely needed, and when human judgment and well-designed systems are the better solution.
Too many startups are bolting AI onto their products as a shiny feature — driven by fear of being left behind or the belief that AI is required to secure funding. When AI isn’t core to the product, and doesn’t solve a real, mission-critical problem, it quickly becomes noise rather than value.
At Verb Ventures, we believe sustainable AI means:
- Building AI into the core infrastructure from day one — not tacking it on later
- Being transparent about what the technology actually does
- Ensuring it delivers real value, such as better automation, improved accuracy, and faster operations
This approach is already proving essential in complex markets like global trade and B2B procurement. In these environments, AI isn’t optional — it plays a critical role in navigating fragmented data, operational complexity, and scale.
You can read the full TechRound article, featuring insights from Alexander and other founders, here: https://techround.co.uk/news/how-uk-startups-ensure-sustainable-ai-use/