The Faculty of Computer Science at TU Dortmund University presented the 2025 Sustainability Award in the category “Completed Projects” as part of its Alumni Day on November 21, 2025. The award went to the research project “Sustainable LLMs: Energy-Efficient Language Models and Transparent Labeling,” in which Lamarr scientists Dr. Raphael Fischer and Dr. Sebastian Buschjäger, among others, are involved.
The project develops methods to significantly reduce the energy consumption of large language models (LLMs) and increase the traceability of AI systems through transparent labeling. Both approaches are considered key building blocks for developing resource-efficient, responsibly used, and trustworthy AI. The jury particularly highlighted the innovative strength of the project, which combines technical solutions with a clear focus on sustainability.
The faculty has been awarding the Sustainability Prize since 2024, sponsored by Informatik Centrum Dortmund e.V., to recognize computer science projects that contribute to the goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With this year’s award, the faculty is sending a clear signal: in view of ever-larger models and rapidly increasing computing loads, AI must develop responsibly – with clear strategies for energy efficiency, transparency, and traceability.
Against this backdrop, the award-winning project makes an important contribution to the current debate on the ecological sustainability of AI systems. It shows how powerful models can be designed more efficiently without losing functionality—and thus provides impetus for research, application, and social discussion.
We congratulate the entire project team on this prestigious award and their contribution to sustainable AI research.