Introducing LEAF: LLM Edge Assessment Framework for Generative AI on the Edge

The transition of Large Language Models (LLMs) from centralized clouds to edge environments is critical for addressing privacy concerns, latency bottlenecks, and operational costs. However, existing edge benchmarking frameworks remain tailored to discriminative Deep Learning tasks (e.g., object detection), failing to capture the multidimensional challenges of generative AI, specifically the trade-offs between token generation speed, semantic accuracy, and hardware sustainability. To address this gap, we introduce LEAF (LLM Edge Assessment Framework), a novel evaluation methodology that integrates Circular Economy principles directly into performance metrics. LEAF assesses edge deployments across five synergistic pillars: Circular Economy Score, Energy Efficiency (Joules/Token), Performance Speed (Tokens/Second), semantic accuracy (BERTScore), and End-to-End Latency. We validate LEAF through an extensive experimental analysis of five distinct hardware classes, ranging from embedded IoT devices (Raspberry Pi 4 and 5, NVIDIA Jetson Nano) to professional edge servers (NVIDIA T400) and repurposed legacy workstations (NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti). Utilizing 4-bit quantized models via the Ollama runtime, our results reveal a counterintuitive insight: repurposed consumer hardware significantly outperforms modern purpose-built edge SoCs. The legacy GTX 1050 Ti achieved a 20× speedup over the Raspberry Pi 4 and maintained superior energy-per-task efficiency compared to low-power ARM architectures by minimizing active runtime. These findings challenge the prevailing narrative that newer silicon is essential for Edge AI, demonstrating that sustainable, high-performance inference can be achieved by extending the lifecycle of existing hardware. LEAF thus provides a blueprint for a “Green Edge” ecosystem that balances computational capability with environmental responsibility.