One of our best has passed. Abhishek Gupta was co-chair of the Standards Working Group from the GSFs formation to his passing on Sep 30, 2024.
When the Green Software Foundation was formed over 3 years ago, Abhishek offered to help. The Standards Working Group was looking for a Co-Chair, and he jumped in to help without hesitation.
He led the Standards Working Group for over 3 years with the full support of everyone involved. Leading a working group isn't about imposing your will on others; it's about finding common ground, nurturing discussions, and searching for the truth - Abhishek excelled in those areas.
He leaves a powerful legacy with the Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) Specification. His tireless efforts over the years led to a consensus on the specification, which was later published to ISO in late 2023 and is now being adopted globally.
The impact of the SCI is truly global, with academics and enterprises worldwide adopting it. This widespread adoption is a testament to Abhishek's vision and dedication, and his influence will be felt in every software product that bears an SCI score.
His legacy is not just a memory, but a living testament to his work. He has left an unforgettable mark on the community and will be remembered for his contributions for years to come.
Aho, brother, I’ll see you on the other side!
Asim Hussain
Executive Director, GSF
Below, a few members deeply impacted by Abhishek and his work share their heartfelt reflections.
The last we spoke with Abhishek was to explore working with him on AI Verify Foundation – an AI Governance toolkit we have opensourced in IMDA. I knew of him from GSF. His passion in the topics as well as his openness to collaborate, demonstrate how convicted he is to AI ethical topics. – Charlene Wong, IMDA
I'm really sorry to hear the news about Abhishek. I really appreciated his time and thoughtful contributions in the GSF on the SCI spec, as well as to Branch magazine when we were starting it out. Losing him at 31 was way too early. Condolences to his family and friends. – Chris Adams, Green Web Foundation
Abhishek's work was incredible, and I remember his passion and focus through my interactions at GSF. My condolences to his family and friends - I will treasure all my time with Abhishek. – Chris Lloyd Jones, Avanade
"I'm deeply saddened to hear about Abhishek's passing. His thoughtfulness and care from day one played an important role in making the SCI a successful and thorough specification. We'll miss his kindness, his depth of knowledge — and even his ever-changing pixel art background — in the standards working group." – Henry Richardson, WattTime & Co-Chair Standards Working Group.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear about this. Abhishek’s contributions to AI ethics, particularly his pivotal role in developing the GSF SCI ISO specification, have had a profound and lasting impact on the field. Those of us who had the privilege of learning from his work will continue to be inspired by his dedication to making AI ethics accessible and inclusive. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Abhishek. You will be greatly missed at the Green Software Foundation.” – Navveen Balani, Accenture & Co-Chair Standards Working
A great loss for the sustainable software community! Abhishek was one of the most active contributors to the Green Software Foundation Software Carbon Intensity specification. – Patrick Chanezon, Microsoft
Abhishek was an amazing Technologist and expert in Responsible AI. Green Software Foundation will always remember him for his stellar contribution towards developing the ISO Standard for Software Carbon Intensity. RIP Abhishek - you will be missed. – Sanjay Podder, Accenture
The world just got a little bit dimmer, lost a little of its sparkle, our community lost one of our fiercest advocates and I lost a friend. Abhishek and I got to know each other after a Climate Action Tech salon event in early 2021 and we never really stopped talking after that. During his time in Microsoft and later in the Green Software Foundation, we would find any excuse to get to collaborate on projects, customer meetings, presentations and blog posts. Working on the very first versions of the SCI with him continues to be one the proudest moments in my career. I learned so much about AI, sustainability and life from him and I will forever be impressed with his tremendous legacy in our industry. But right now, I'm mostly mourning a friend, someone who would share his kindness so freely, rejoice at other people's success, discuss books and video games and share a laughter with. Ahishek, I'm so sorry I never got to come to Montreal and share that bagel we always talked about and I will miss you. Deeply. – Sara Bergman, Microsoft
Abhishek was one of the earliest members of Green Software Foundation and was one of the driving forces between Standards group and the SCI specifications. May his soul rest in peace. – Srinivasan Rakhunathan, Microsoft
My thoughts and prayers are with this community, the community he served and his family. Abhishek will always be a pioneer. His passing leaves us with a moment to reflect on how much 1 person can do and the impact they can make. Quite remarkable. – Suzanne Kopcha, Siemens
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The Montreal AI Ethics Institute (which he was a Founder of) has posted a wonderful in-memoriam of his life and accomplishments here: https://montrealethics.ai/in-memoriam-abhishek-gupta-dec-20-1992-sep-30-2024/
For those who wish to share stories, personal anecdotes, and photos of Abhishek, please visit www.forevermissed.com/abhishekgupta — your contributions will be greatly appreciated by his family and loved ones.
If you’re part of the GSF community and would like to add to this in-memoriam, please email Namrata at [email protected].
This article is licenced under Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0)