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Experts Predict AI to Create Job Opportunities in Energy Sector

 

The latest the findings from Airswift's ninth annual Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) survey show a significant shift in opinion of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the employment market in the energy industry. Contrary to popular belief, more than 90% of questioned experts believe AI will increase the necessity for human skills ranging from technical proficiency to creativity and problem-solving ability. Furthermore, nearly half of respondents (46%) believe that AI deployments will lead to higher earnings.

The survey, which includes insights from 12,000 professionals in 149 countries, highlights the numerous perceived benefits of AI integration in the workplace. The predicted increase in productivity is the most important of these benefits, according to 74% of respondents. Furthermore, 60% feel that AI will improve their career prospects and job satisfaction.Notably, more than half of the participants (54%) are optimistic about improved work-life balance, noting AI's ability to streamline activities and free up more leisure time. 

AI concerns and hurdles 

Despite the general optimism, professionals raise concerns about AI's impacts in the workplace. The perceived lack of human touch associated with AI is the most common fear, according to 42% of respondents. Moreover, 33% of respondents expressed concerns about potential misuse or inadequate adoption due to insufficient training. Cybersecurity issues are also a source of conflict, with 30% expressing concern about potential vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, the survey indicates a significant gap in AI policies among workplaces. Half of the respondents say their organisations do not have AI policies, while 17% are unsure whether such regulations exist. Only 52% of respondents who acknowledge the presence of AI policy confirm coverage of critical areas such as data protection and security. 

Professionals report various challenges to widespread AI adoption, such as ambiguity about appropriate AI tools and a perceived lack of investment. Despite these limitations, the overall sentiment remains positive, with 82% of respondents believing AI has the ability to improve the energy sector.

While 82% of energy professionals are optimistic about AI's potential, substantial impediments prevent widespread deployment. Among these challenges are concerns about which AI technologies to utilise and a perceived lack of investment in AI initiatives. These constraints lead to a slower rate of AI integration in the energy sector, with only 24% of oil and gas personnel now using AI technologies in their jobs.

Sector-specific data 

The survey analyses sector-specific perceptions of AI integration. Notably, professionals in the nuclear energy sector have a particularly positive perspective, with 69% expecting AI to drive productivity gains in the next two years. In contrast, individuals in the oil and gas sector report the lowest levels of AI integration, with only 24% incorporating AI technologies into their employment.

The GETI report provides insight into how AI use is changing in the energy sector and highlights professionals' varied points of view. Though there is a lot of hope for AI's potential advantages, worries about how it may impact cybersecurity, legal frameworks, and the nature of jobs persist. In order to fully utilise the technology's potential to encourage innovation and long-term growth, the industry will need to take proactive steps to plug talent gaps, improve cybersecurity processes, and promote a culture of responsible AI adoption.

Rishi Sunak Outlines Risks and Potential of AI Ahead of Tech Summit


UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned against the use of AI, as it could be used to design chemical and biological weapons. He says that, in the worst case scenario, people are likely to lose all control over AI, preventing it from turning off. 

However, he notes that while the potential for harm in AI usage is disputed, “we must not put heads in the sand,” over AI risks.

Sunak notes that the technology is already creating new job opportunities and that its advancement would catalyze economic growth and productivity, though he acknowledged that it would have an impact on the labor market.

“The responsible thing for me to do is to address those fears head on, giving you the peace of mind that we will keep you safe, while making sure you and your children have all the opportunities for a better future that AI can bring[…]Doing the right thing, not the easy thing, means being honest with people about the risks from these technologies,” Sunak stated. On Wednesday, the government had released documents highlighting the risks of AI. 

Existential risks from the technology cannot be ruled out, according to one research on the future risks of frontier AI, the term given to frontier AI systems will be discussed at the summit. 

“Given the significant uncertainty in predicting AI developments, there is insufficient evidence to rule out that highly capable Frontier AI systems, if misaligned or inadequately controlled, could pose an existential threat.”

The paper also presents several concerning scenarios about the advancement of AI.

One warns of the potential backlash from the public, as their jobs are being taken by AI. “AI systems are deemed technically safe by many users … but they are nevertheless causing impacts like increased unemployment and poverty,” says the paper, creating a “fierce public debate about the future of education and work”.

In another case mentioned in the document, dubbed as the ‘Wild West,’ the illicit use of AI to commit fraud and scams leads to social instability as a result of numerous victims of organized crime, widespread trade secret theft by enterprises, and an increase in the amount of AI-generated content that clogs the internet.

“This could lead to ‘personalised’ disinformation, where bespoke messages are targeted at individuals rather than larger groups and are therefore more persuasive,” said the discussion document, cautioning of the potential decrease in public trust when it comes to factual information and in civic processes like elections.

“Frontier AI can be misused to deliberately spread false information to create disruption, persuade people on political issues, or cause other forms of harm or damage,” it says. In regards to the documents, Mr. Sunak added that among the aforementioned risks outlined in the document was also a risk of AI being used by terrorist groups, "to spread fear and disruption on an even greater scale."

He notes that reducing the danger of AI causing the extinction of humans should be a "global priority".

However, he stated: "This is not a risk that people need to be losing sleep over right now and I don't want to be alarmist." He said that, on the whole, he was "optimistic" about AI's capacity to improve people's lives.

The disruption AI is already causing in the workplace is a threat that many will be far more familiar with.

Mr. Sunak emphasized how effectively AI technologies do administrative duties that are typically performed by an employee manually, such as drafting contracts and assisting in decision-making.

He added that technology has always changed how people generate money and that education is the best way to prepare individuals for the shifting market. For example, automation has already altered the nature of employment in factories and warehouses, but it has not completely eliminated human involvement.

The prime minister encouraged people to see artificial intelligence as a "co-pilot" in the day-to-day operations of the workplace, saying it was oversimplified to suggest the technology will "take people's jobs".