Look Up Geoscience works in the field of geological exploration to support the transition to lower-carbon energies (geothermal energy, natural hydrogen, ethical mining, etc.). This concern is reflected in the way the entire team works. Nicolas Cami, Technical and Software Development Manager, explains the company’s philosophy.
Are Look Up employees aligned on environmental issues?
The entire team is committed to the ecological transition and is concerned about the impact of its activities. This desire to remain sustainable is reflected in various ways. First, we make it a point of honor to reduce our consumption of IT equipment. For example, we use refurbished equipment whenever possible. We purchase it from French companies such as Smaart, located in the Hérault region, or Ecodair. Terminals will account for 50% of the environmental impact of digital technology in 2025[1]. When a new member joins the team, we assess the equipment they already have and may buy it from them. We also take care to choose low-impact technologies that require fewer resources. And we develop software solutions that can be used by everyone, including on older hardware.
What cloud infrastructures do you use?
We collaborate with companies such as Green4Cloud, which offers low-impact solutions (infrastructure/servers). They specialize in working with local players and promoting open source solutions and free software.
They conduct research projects to further reduce the impact of the cloud, use reconditioned hardware, and pool the resources of a multitude of existing servers as much as possible with their micro-data center architecture. This approach is in line with the emerging concept of digital sovereignty and the desire to break away from dependence on American digital giants.
What is your approach to artificial intelligence?
In the software field, the trend is to put artificial intelligence (AI) everywhere. Adding buttons with AI that no one uses is absurd! Especially for us, as we seek to create lightweight software that performs the essential tasks, using an 80/20 approach focused on critical features covering the vast majority of user activity. We adhere to the concept of “frugal AI.” So the question is not “where could we put AI?” but rather “among the possible solutions to meet a need, which are the most relevant?” If AI is one of them, our concern will be to understand its impact. Indeed, if it needs to be trained, the environmental (and potentially ethical) impact will be significant! We will take this into account when assessing its relevance.
Interview with Nicolas Cami by Véronique Molénat, science editor