Press
Amsterdam, 16 July 2025. In this article published in Dutch IT channel, Rewire Principal Simon Koolstra explains how model distillation offers a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to the large, energy-intensive AI models most organisations currently rely on. In practice, a distilled FAQ agent for a customer service centre can reduce energy consumption per query by up to 80%, while also cutting costs and improving response times. The technique is not universal — complex, open-ended or creative tasks still require full-scale models — but for high-volume, domain-specific applications it represents a credible path to scaling AI sustainably. Koolstra argues that distillation, alongside greener infrastructure and smarter deployment strategies, should be an active consideration in any serious data strategy.
