ENERGY FORECASTS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
HOW WILL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRANSFORM ENERGY INNOVATION?
$UWLƓFLDOLQWHOOLJHQFH $, LVSRLVHGWRUHYROXWLRQLVHWKHHQHUJ\VHFWRU accelerating breakthroughs in clean energy technology and innovation. From identifying new materials to optimising complex systems, AI offers WUDQVIRUPDWLYHSRWHQWLDO+RZHYHUUHDOLVLQJLWVIXOOEHQHƓWVUHTXLUHV addressing key challenges, including data accessibility, skill gaps, and regulatory frameworks. Simon Bennett and Thomas Spencer of the IEA explore how this general-purpose technology could reshape energy innovation and drive global progress toward sustainability.
L ike the steam engine and electricity, artificial intelligence (AI) is a general-purpose technology that could profoundly transform the global economy and the world’s energy system. Though key uncertainties remain, it stands to have major impacts. High on the list is its potential role in accelerating innovation. Impressive technological advancements – both incremental and radical – have helped drive down the cost of key energy technologies in recent years. But to achieve global energy security and emissions goals, existing clean energy technologies need to keep improving, and novel energy technologies must reach the market. AI will enhance the capacity and creativity of scientists in generating and testing new ideas. But for AI-accelerated innovation to really deliver for the energy
sector, policymakers and the scientific community need to build a common understanding of the most promising applications and key enablers – and address critical gaps. This is a key focus of the IEA’s new workstream on energy and AI, which also involves analysing how the adoption of AI will affect electricity consumption by data centres and how AI can be applied to optimise complex parts of energy systems, such as electricity networks. The recent Global Conference on Energy & AI,
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THE FUTURE OF ENERGY
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