Generative AI is impressive, but the hidden environmental costs and impact of these models are often overlooked. Companies can take eight steps to make these systems greener: Use existing large generative models, don’t generate your own; fine-tune train existing models; use energy-conserving computational methods; use a large model only when it offers significant value; be discerning about when you use generative AI; evaluate the energy sources of your cloud provider or data center; re-use models and resources; include AI activity in your carbon monitoring.