AI is no longer a side project: Technology leaders at ADIPEC call for bold, coordinated investment to accelerate energy progress

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation took centre stage on day 2 of ADIPEC 2025, where global energy, technology and finance leaders discussed the need for smarter investment to scale technologies and drive inclusive global progress.

Government and industry leaders at ADIPEC 2025 rallied around AI’s transformative power to strengthen energy resilience and accelerate decarbonisation, recognising that energy and AI are not just shaping the future, but actively accelerating it. 

As ADIPEC’s second day unfolded under the theme of ‘The Technology Leap: Redefining Energy Leadership’, its expanded AI Zone and new Digitalisation & AI Strategic Conference programme were of particular importance, bringing together innovators and industry leaders to discuss and showcase technologies that enhance efficiency, advance sustainability, and drive system-wide transformation.

Strategic dialogue highlights growing impact of AI and further benefit potential
Conference discussions spotlighted the urgent need for coordinated action across sectors. Speakers emphasised the importance of leadership and inclusive strategies to navigate the energy transition. The dialogue centred on aligning innovation with investment, forging resilient partnerships, and designing systems that can scale globally while adapting to shifting demand and market forces.

The deep impact of AI on all aspects of the energy and industry, which was explored throughout ADIPEC, was well encapsulated by Dean Watson, CEO of Enersol, in the session ‘Energy leaders in the age of AI’. 

He said: “AI is not a side project. It’s going to be part of your core operating model. And I think, ultimately, it’s probably the biggest change management initiative that we have faced in our industry. And I think it needs real deliberate planning and focus from the top down.”
Speaking in the session titled ‘Delivering more profit and a better world: AI is catalysing an energy revolution’, Jack Hidary CEO, SandboxAQ, discussed how AI and data centres has been impacting the energy sector.  

He said: “The AI revolution in data centres has awakened the energy industry to this phenomenon – people are open to new ideas. Just here at ADIPEC this year, I’ve had a very different set of conversations than I had just last year. In just one year, we’ve seen many of the largest hydrocarbon companies come to us asking, ‘How do we embrace AI for the physical world?’”

Discussing the benefits that AI offers the energy sector, Olivier Oullier, Founder and CEO of Inclusive Minds, said: “We can improve safety, we can improve productivity, while preserving physical and mental health. It’s never been the case. We can tailor the work experience to not only who people are, but who and how they feel. Responsible AI is using the most advanced and rigorous science to turn it into tech that has positive impact.

ADIPEC’s new Digitalisation & AI programme – part of the Strategic Conference – explores scalable solutions and demonstrates how applied intelligence is reshaping the global energy system. In the session titled ‘The talent transformation behind Energy 5.0’, experts discussed how the convergence of the fifth industrial revolution with the energy sector is impacting talent development, recruitment, and retention. 

Speaking in the session, Dr. Guy Diedrich, Chief Innovation Officer, Cisco, detailed how AI and digital technologies would be disrupting the job market, saying: “Right now, 92 million jobs over the next three years are going to be displaced because of technology. But at the same time, 170 million new jobs are going to be created, and they’re going to require new skills. It’s up to us to retrain those 92 million and train the other 80 million net new job seekers for the next-generation jobs.”

Immersive AI Zone showcases smart technologies powering the future of energy
In collaboration with ADNOC, the AI Zone returned to ADIPEC for its second year, featuring a larger presence and a more dynamic experience. It offered an immersive environment focused on “AI for Energy” and “Energy for AI,” linking tech innovators with energy producers, investors, and enablers driving global digital transformation.

Visitors explored interactive areas like The Intelligence Grid, Talent Hub, Values Room, and Data Visualisation, engaging with live simulations, visual data, and discussions on AI’s impact on systems, skills, and sustainability.

Among the cutting-edge smart technologies on display at the AI Zone included:

•    The Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence’s robot dog called Laika, which demonstrates AI-powered mobility and reasoning, able to respond to voice commands, navigate, and describe its observations. 

•    G42 Project Stargate, the UAE’s hyperscale AI computing initiative designed to support large-scale model training, accelerate artificial intelligence research, and drive innovation across energy, sustainability, and national digital transformation.

•    Accenture’s ‘Refinery of the Future’, simulating data flows and complex operations.
Other innovations, like oilfield monitoring drones and AI-powered platforms were showcased by companies including AREONEX, GeoCruiser, CleanConnect.AI and Senergetics, enabling the Zone to raise vital questions about powering AI infrastructure sustainably and deploying it ethically and securely. 

ADIPEC 2025 continues through 6 November, with upcoming sessions addressing hydrogen, LNG, digitalisation, and the future of energy systems. Across four days, the conference is turning dialogue into delivery, catalysing partnerships and showcasing solutions that drive inclusive, sustainable progress at speed and scale.