Tech Leaders Push for Investment to Fast-Track Energy Progress
▼ Summary
– Leadership and inclusive strategies are crucial for navigating the energy transition, as emphasized by speakers at ADIPEC 2025.
– AI and digitalization are central to strengthening energy resilience, accelerating decarbonization, and reshaping the global energy system.
– Coordinated action across sectors is urgently needed to align innovation with investment and build resilient partnerships for scalable solutions.
– AI is a core operational change requiring deliberate top-down planning, not just a side project, according to industry leaders like Dean Watson.
– The AI revolution is creating a net increase in jobs, with 170 million new roles emerging that will require new skills, while displacing 92 million existing jobs.
Global energy and technology leaders are championing strategic investment to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence and digital solutions, aiming to fast-track the transition toward a more resilient and sustainable energy system. During the second day of ADIPEC 2025, the focus shifted decisively to how applied intelligence is fundamentally reshaping global energy operations. Under the conference theme ‘The Technology Leap: Redefining Energy Leadership,’ participants explored scalable technologies that enhance efficiency, advance decarbonization goals, and drive system-wide transformation.
A consistent message emerged from the discussions: achieving meaningful progress requires coordinated action across all sectors. Speakers underscored the critical importance of leadership and inclusive strategies to successfully navigate the complexities of the energy transition. The dialogue consistently returned to the necessity of aligning technological innovation with smart capital investment, building resilient cross-industry partnerships, and designing systems capable of scaling globally while remaining adaptable to dynamic market forces.
The profound influence of AI on the energy sector was a central topic. Dean Watson, CEO of Enersol, captured the sentiment during his session, stating that AI integration is far from a peripheral initiative. He described it as the most significant change management challenge the industry has encountered, demanding deliberate, top-down planning and focus to embed it into core operating models.
Echoing this transformative potential, Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, noted a remarkable shift in industry mindset. He observed that the AI revolution, particularly within data centers, has jolted the energy sector into a new era of openness. Compared to just one year prior, he reported engaging with major hydrocarbon companies actively seeking ways to leverage AI for tangible, real-world applications, signaling a rapid and significant change in priorities.
The practical benefits of these technologies were also highlighted. Olivier Oullier, Founder and CEO of Inclusive Brains, explained that responsible AI application can simultaneously improve safety and productivity while safeguarding the physical and mental well-being of workers. He emphasized the potential for AI to personalize work experiences based on individual characteristics and even real-time states, turning advanced science into technology with a genuinely positive impact.
A key component of ADIPEC 2025 was the new Digitalization & AI Strategic Conference program, which served as a platform to explore these scalable solutions. In a session dedicated to the future of work, experts delved into how the fifth industrial revolution, often termed Energy 5.0, is influencing talent strategies. Dr. Guy Diedrich, Chief Innovation Officer at Cisco, provided a striking forecast on the evolving job market. He projected that while 92 million jobs may be displaced by technology in the next three years, a net gain of 170 million new roles will be created, necessitating a massive, concerted effort to retrain and upskill the global workforce for these next-generation opportunities.
Complementing the high-level discussions, the event’s immersive AI Zone provided a tangible look at the smart technologies already powering the future of energy, showcasing practical applications that are moving from concept to reality.
(Source: Economy Middle East)
