#54 One of you asked, so we answered
How we think about the impact we make as an AI-powered business.
Last week, we received the following questions on our post:
The TL;DR is: Yes, Beni uses AI to help you find secondhand items more easily. And we get it—AI can make people think about energy use and emissions.
That’s why we’re committed to doing it right 😊👇.
When you shop secondhand with Beni, you're already making a huge positive impact by choosing pre-loved items over new ones, which helps reduce the emissions from new production.
On top of that, here’s how we keep our environmental impact low:
Optimized Tech Setup: We run everything on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), which is fantastic for minimizing our carbon footprint. GCP uses renewable energy whenever possible, and its data centers are designed for efficiency, which helps to reduce emissions from our tech operations. So, while you're browsing for secondhand treasures, GCP is working to keep energy use as green and sustainable as possible.
Smarter AI, Lower Energy Use: We understand that AI can sometimes raise concerns about computing costs, but not all AI is the same! Generative AI, which creates new content (like text or images), can be energy-intensive because it requires a lot of processing power. Beni’s AI, on the other hand, focuses on searching for existing items and finding secondhand options efficiently. This approach uses less energy because it doesn’t involve generating new content, just connecting you to the best secondhand options out there. Plus, we made updates earlier this year to optimize our system even further, ensuring it runs smoothly and efficiently as we grow.
Scaling with Impact in Mind: As our community of users grows, we’re able to help even more people choose secondhand over new, which saves more emissions. The exciting part? While the emissions we help offset keep increasing, our own tech-related emissions stay relatively stable. This means our positive impact will only get bigger over time!
So, all in all, Beni is designed to be efficient from the ground up, and you can feel great about using it to shop secondhand and make a real difference for the environment.
Want more Beni news and updates? Make sure you’re subscribed and follow us on our journey as we build the future of fashion.
Beni’s Thrift Tips & Tricks
If you’re still looking for that perfect Halloween costume, Beni’s revamped search can help you find anything you need.
Need some inspo? Check out our TikTok to see all the costumes we’ve found with Beni so far!
Community Spotlight: Cailey Damron and Julia-Grace Sanders
Who they are: The fun pair behind the Sustainably, Yours podcast!
What they do: They break down sustainability topics with a casual, coffee-with-friends vibe, making the climate impact of consumption approachable to everyone. Their episodes cover topics like honing your personal style for longer-lasting purchases, shopping second-hand (yay Beni!), debunking greenwashing buzzwords, and exploring sustainable materials and practices.
Why we're talking about them: They just dropped their second season, which features upcoming episodes on designer-worthy upcyclers, toxic material swaps, sustainability reads, and more. Also! Sarah had a chance to sit down with them last spring to chat about how Beni’s making shopping secondhand easier than ever. In the episode (available on Spotify or Apple Podcasts), they dive into how Beni helps hesitant thrifters and reveal the hidden costs of all those "free" returns.
Why we do what we do (Reason #147)
Catherine ran the Chicago marathon last weekend in an “upcycled” 😉 shirt that promoted Beni, and we received an influx of texts and pics from people who saw her out on the course!
Coming up with Beni
Oct. 1-18 - LAST CHANCE to sign up to be a founding member of the Beni Resale Collective before we kick things off on Monday! Apply now!
Oct. 14-18 - Kate and Celine are in LA for Tech Week and have some more events coming up. Check out where you can find them here!
Oct. 20 - Kate is heading to Harvard Business School…to speak at the Retail and Luxury Goods Conference! Check out the awesome line up of speakers from The RealReal, Revolve, The Mayfair Group, etc. and get your ticket here!
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Really appreciate this post. Thanks for the transparency and the clear explanation!