Sustainability
depends on: zero-infra, local-inference, performance
The greenest server workload is the one you avoid provisioning.
Principles
- Compute at the edge when feasible
- Minimize always-on backend capacity
- Cache aggressively to reduce repeated work
- Zero idle overprovisioning as a default target
- Zero unnecessary data movement
Operational framing
Server-centric systems often carry baseline energy cost from always-on infrastructure. Local-first architectures shift suitable workloads to existing client hardware, reducing dedicated infrastructure demand for those paths. When compute runs on the user's device, the data stays on the user's device — sustainability and privacy share the same structural root.
Design for sustainability
- Prefer client-side processing when capability allows
- Keep remote services optional for non-critical enhancements
- Use immutable cacheable assets for high hit rates
- Avoid repeated model downloads through caching and versioning
For agents
- Default to client-side compute for private and lightweight tasks
- Ensure offline/degraded mode remains functional
- Cache model/runtime assets responsibly
- Measure infra usage, not only response latency
- Treat resource efficiency as a product requirement