Cinven Leads Bidding for French Data Services Firm Artefact
The private equity firm is putting the finishing touches on a purchase of the Ardian -backed business after beating out rival buyout shops, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
23 minutes ago
- Forbes
Mistral AI's Environmental Audit Puts Spotlight On AI's Hidden Costs
Mistral AI Mistral AI has quantified the environmental price of artificial intelligence with unprecedented transparency, releasing what appears to be the first comprehensive lifecycle assessment of a large language model. The French AI startup's detailed analysis of its Mistral Large 2 model reveals that training alone generated 20,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and consumed 281,000 cubic meters of water over 18 months. This disclosure comes as enterprises face dual pressures - implementing AI to stay competitive while fulfilling sustainability commitments. The audit provides decision-makers with concrete data points that were previously hidden behind industry opacity, enabling more informed technology adoption strategies. The numbers from Mistral's assessment illustrate the resource intensity of AI. Training the 123 billion parameter model required energy equivalent to 4,500 gasoline-powered cars operating for a year, while water consumption matched filling 112 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Each individual query through Mistral's Le Chat assistant generates 1.14 grams of CO2 equivalent and consumes 45 milliliters of water, roughly equivalent to growing a small radish. Mistral AI More significantly, the analysis reveals that operational phases have a greater impact on the environment. Training and inference account for 85% of water consumption, far exceeding the environmental cost of hardware manufacturing or data center construction. This operational dominance means that environmental costs accumulate continuously as model usage scales up. Mistral's research identifies actionable strategies for reducing environmental impact. Geographic location has a significant influence on carbon footprint, with models trained in regions with renewable energy and cooler climates exhibiting markedly lower emissions. The study demonstrates a strong correlation between model size and environmental cost, with larger models generating impacts roughly one order of magnitude higher for equivalent token generation. These findings suggest specific optimization approaches. Enterprises can reduce environmental impact by selecting appropriately sized models for specific use cases rather than defaulting to larger, general-purpose systems. Continuous batching techniques that group queries can minimize computational waste, while deploying models in regions with clean energy grids substantially reduces carbon emissions. Mistral's disclosure strategy differs significantly from that of its competitors. While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently claimed ChatGPT queries consume just 0.32 milliliters of water per request, the lack of a detailed methodology makes meaningful comparison difficult. This transparency gap presents opportunities for companies willing to provide comprehensive environmental data, allowing them to differentiate themselves competitively. The audit establishes environmental transparency as a key differentiator in the enterprise AI market. As sustainability metrics increasingly influence procurement decisions, vendors providing detailed environmental impact data gain advantages in enterprise sales cycles. This transparency enables more sophisticated vendor evaluations that balance performance requirements against environmental costs. For technology executives, Mistral's audit provides decision-making criteria previously unavailable. Organizations can now factor environmental impact into AI procurement decisions, alongside traditional metrics such as performance and cost. The data enables more sophisticated total cost of ownership calculations that include environmental externalities. Looking ahead, environmental performance may become as critical as computational performance in selecting AI vendors. Organizations that establish environmental accounting practices now position themselves advantageously as regulatory requirements expand and stakeholder scrutiny intensifies. The Mistral audit demonstrates that detailed environmental measurement is feasible, potentially making opacity from other vendors increasingly untenable in enterprise markets.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Shuttered Albany restaurant popular with NY elite, politicians to reopen as members-only social club
An Albany restaurant that used to feature a clientele list teeming with some of the most powerful politicians in New York is set to reopen as a private members' dining club in late 2025. The La Serre restaurant closed in 2020 after it was unable to bounce back from the COVID-19 lockdown, with much of its business at the time relying on large gatherings like banquets and receptions, founder Anne Trimble told the Times Union. The French-based restaurant originally opened in 1977 and quickly became a favorite among New York's political elite on both sides of the aisle during its run, including former Govs. Hugh Carey, Mario Cuomo, George Pataki and Andrew Cuomo. Advertisement Albany's La Serre restaurant will be taken over by an exclusive politician nightclub. Albany Times Union via Getty Ima Now, Mayor Eric Adams' spokesman Todd Shapiro is looking to revamp the historic mainstay alongside Greg Caggiano and Todd Miller of the law firm Miller & Caggiano. 'This is going to be the most important political and social venue north of Manhattan. We're bringing back the old-school power — but with a modern twist: young, trendsetting, high-end, and unapologetically political,' Shapiro said. Advertisement Their vision centers around elevating the old restaurant's history by making it a hotspot for 'high-level networking, private events, and political strategy' while filling the space of a much-needed 'contemporary social anchor,' according to a press release. They plan to make it highly selective, primarily limiting membership to public leaders, media influencers, creatives and civic entrepreneurs, according to the release. La Serre closed in 2020 after it was unable to recover from the COVID-19 lockdown. Albany Times Union via Getty Ima The restaurant will also include a secluded 'War Room' — which shares its name with another restaurant owned by Shapiro — that will be reserved for politicians' off-the-record meetings. Advertisement The new and improved La Serre will include a rooftop terrace and renovated interior, likely shifting away from the upscale, green leather-laden atmosphere of the old restaurant and gravitating towards something more 'clubby,' per the release. Trimble founded the restaurant alongside her late husband, Geoffrey, who passed away in 2005. She managed the restaurant with her son, John, up through its closure, the Times Union reported.
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business Insider
Ghana secures first Paris Club debt deal from France
France has signed a bilateral agreement with Ghana to provide debt relief under the country's ongoing external debt restructuring programme, marking a major milestone in Ghana's efforts to recover from unsustainable debt levels following the COVID-19 pandemic. France signed a debt relief agreement with Ghana as part of an external debt restructuring program. This makes France the first Paris Club member to formally support Ghana's financial recovery. Ghana noted economic progress, including inflation reduction, reflecting positive indicators of recovery. The agreement, signed on Friday, July 25, makes France the first Paris Club member to formally commit to debt relief for Ghana. The development follows Parliament's approval of the indicative terms presented by the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), according to Citi Newsroom. Ghana's Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who signed on behalf of the government, described the agreement as ' the most significant milestone' and urged other Paris Club members to follow France's lead. 'We expect to complete the process as soon as possible so that Ghana can breathe again, ' he said. ' Today is a milestone, a milestone in the sense that it has taken us some time to get here. But it is the most significant one. The most significant one, which will pave the way for others to also emulate the steps taken by France in signing this bilateral agreement,' he added. Officials express optimism over broader support from global creditors The signing ceremony was attended by French Ambassador to Ghana Jules Armand Aniambossou, Paris Club Secretary-General and OCC Co-Chair William Roos, and officials from both governments. Speaking at the event and during his presentation of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament, Dr. Forson noted that inflation had dropped from 54% to 13.7%, adding, 'We have gone through turbulent signs but we can see that hope is in sight.' He also expressed optimism that Ghana's recent economic progress would be recognized by other members of the Paris Club framework, expediting the country's external debt restructuring process. Ambassador Aniambossou said France's decision reflected the strong ties between the two countries. ' When your friend or family member is facing difficulties, you have to show that you are there for them and take some key actions, ' he said. Paris Club Secretary-General William Roos called for stronger collaboration among creditors. ' We have to progressively build a strong trust between France, China, the G20 and Paris Club members,' he said.
