We are thrilled to announce a new partnership between Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) and GreenPT, as part of our ongoing AI Learning Labs efforts. Through this collaboration, we aim to opt for sustainable, privacy-first AI tools and put them directly into the hands of our global Network — particularly communities in the Global South who have long faced barriers to accessing AI without surrendering their data to Big Tech. By sharing API credits, LLM inference, Speech-to-Text, RAG, and other endpoints, along with platform access for OKFN staff and the wider network, this partnership embodies our commitment to learning by doing and building AI literacy that is practical, responsible, and multilingual.
GreenPT is a European, privacy-first AI platform built on the premise that AI should be smart without burdening the planet. Hosted in data centres powered by 100% renewable energy, it claims to achieve a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.25, compared to the Uptime Institute’s 2024 global average of 1.54 — 19% better — and a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of 0.25, an 86% improvement over standard data centres (source). By deliberately using smaller, more efficient models and providing users with real-time feedback on energy consumption, GreenPT cuts computational requirements by 40–50% and reduces CO₂ emissions by up to half compared to conventional AI solutions. They aim to make every interaction transparent: users can see the carbon impact of each prompt, making efficiency a conscious choice.
This partnership aligns closely with Open Knowledge’s mission to create a fair, sustainable and open future for all. For over two decades, we have been establishing standards, creating technical tools and building digital public infrastructures in coordination with a distributed network of communities that have impacted the public, private and social sector everywhere. We are the proud creator and maintainer of two officially recognised digital public goods — CKAN and Open Data Editor (ODE) —, a commitment to building The Tech We Want: open infrastructure that is useful, simple, durable, and focused on solving people’s real problems.
This partnership is also part of a deliberate, wider operational shift we are undergoing at OKFN — a drive to align our internal digital infrastructure with the open values we champion externally. Over the last few months, we have replaced legacy proprietary tools with open, more ethical alternatives: BigBlueButton now powers our video conferencing and events, Plausible gives us privacy-first, cookie-free analytics, and Kimai offers transparent, open-source time-tracking for our distributed team. Welcoming GreenPT’s sustainable AI into this evolving ecosystem ensures that our commitment to openness is practised in our operations, from the backend infrastructure to the user-facing applications we build.
Over the coming months, we will collaborate on at least one joint case study based on a real project that combines GreenPT’s technology with OKFN’s expertise and global network. We want open knowledge and sustainable infrastructure to go hand in hand, serving communities without compromising on values, data sovereignty, or the health of our planet.
Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this journey.
Facts Only
* Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) and GreenPT have established a partnership.
* The collaboration provides API credits, LLM inference, Speech-to-Text, and RAG endpoints.
* GreenPT is a European AI platform hosted in data centres powered by 100% renewable energy.
* GreenPT reports a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.25 and a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of 0.25.
* The Uptime Institute’s 2024 global average PUE is 1.54.
* GreenPT users receive real-time feedback on the carbon impact of prompts.
* OKFN creates and maintains CKAN and Open Data Editor (ODE).
* OKFN has replaced proprietary tools with BigBlueButton, Plausible, and Kimai.
* The partnership includes a commitment to produce at least one joint case study.
* The initiative targets OKFN staff and its global network, specifically in the Global South.
Executive Summary
Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) has partnered with GreenPT, a European AI platform, to integrate sustainable and privacy-centric artificial intelligence into its global network. This initiative aims to provide communities, particularly in the Global South, with access to AI tools—including LLM inference and RAG endpoints—without relying on proprietary "Big Tech" infrastructure. GreenPT supports this by utilizing 100% renewable energy and reporting significantly lower power and water usage effectiveness compared to global industry averages.
This collaboration is part of a broader operational transition within OKFN to align its internal digital infrastructure with its public advocacy for open values. By adopting open-source alternatives for video conferencing, analytics, and time-tracking, OKFN seeks to practice the "The Tech We Want" philosophy. While the partnership promises a future joint case study to demonstrate real-world application, the immediate focus remains on building multilingual AI literacy and ensuring data sovereignty through sustainable infrastructure.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative is a principled attempt to decouple AI advancement from environmental degradation and corporate data extraction. By prioritizing "small" efficient models over massive, opaque clusters, this move suggests that utility does not require ecological sacrifice or the surrender of sovereignty.
However, the narrative relies heavily on the "Authority Game." The claims regarding PUE and WUE improvements are presented as definitive benchmarks, yet they originate from the vendor itself. Using proprietary internal metrics to justify the adoption of a proprietary platform—even one branded as "privacy-first"—creates a circular validation loop where the vendor is both the provider of the solution and the sole auditor of its efficiency.
The underlying paradigm is one of "Digital Decolonization," echoing historical patterns of resisting infrastructure dependency. The assumption is that shifting the provider from a US-based "Big Tech" firm to a European "Sustainable" firm inherently solves the problem of data sovereignty. This overlooks the possibility that dependency is shifted rather than eliminated.
The benefit accrues to the Global South via increased access, but the second-order consequence may be the creation of new, niche dependencies on "ethical" vendors who maintain control over the underlying endpoints.
Bridge Questions:
1. How are GreenPT's efficiency metrics independently verified outside of their own reporting?
2. Does the use of a centralized European platform truly grant "data sovereignty" to the Global South, or does it merely change the jurisdiction of the data holder?
Counterstrike Scan: A coordinated campaign to push this narrative would use "virtue-signaling" as a shield, blending environmental urgency with social justice rhetoric to bypass technical scrutiny of the platform's actual capabilities. The current content remains a standard organizational announcement and does not match the intensity or deceptive structure of a coordinated influence campaign.
Patterns detected: ARC-0045 Authority Game
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like an authentic, mission-driven announcement detailing a specific technological partnership grounded in existing organizational values and operational shifts.