Editorial comment
In recent weeks, artificial intelligence (AI) has been hitting the headlines following a string of controversies. A song that used AI to clone the voices of musicians Drake and The Weeknd was recently removed from streaming services after it went viral and drew strong criticism from publishers Universal Music Group, which claimed that the song violated copyright law. German artist Boris Eldagsen refused his prize for winning the creative open category at the Sony World Photography Awards, revealing that his work was created using AI. And the family of Michael Schumacher announced that they are planning legal action against a German magazine which published an AI-generated ‘interview’ with the former Formula 1 world champion, who suffered severe head injuries following a skiing accident in 2013.
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There is growing concern about the power that AI has to change the way we live. Key figures in the sector, including Elon Musk, recently signed an open letter warning of the potential risks of the technology, and urging that training of powerful AI systems should be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity.
Of course, there are two sides to the coin, and AI has enormous capacity to make a positive impact on society and revolutionise industries such as ours. For example, Yokogawa Electric Corp. recently announced that its reinforcement learning-based AI algorithm will be officially adopted for use at an ENEOS Materials chemical plant, following a successful field test in which the autonomous control AI demonstrated a high level of performance while controlling a distillation column at the plant for almost a year. During the field test, the AI is reported to have shown year-round stability, reduced environmental impacts, lightened workloads, and improved safety, all while achieving stable performance and optimising operations. This is the first example in the world of reinforcement learning AI being adopted for direct control of a plant.
The integration of AI in the downstream oil and gas sector holds great promise for increased efficiency, cost savings, and improved safety. AI can optimise production, streamline supply chains, and enable predictive maintenance, reducing downtime and increasing overall performance.
However, the adoption of AI in the downstream oil and gas sector is not without risks. One major concern is cybersecurity, as AI systems depend on vast amounts of data that need to be kept secure. Another risk is the need for a skilled workforce to operate and maintain the system, and the possibility of unexpected outcomes that could have serious consequences for human safety and the environment.
It is important for industry players to work together to mitigate these risks and ensure responsible use of AI in the downstream oil and gas sector. This includes carefully considering the ethical implications of AI implementation, engaging with regulatory bodies and industry partners, and investing in education and training programmes to build a skilled workforce that can operate and maintain these systems safely and effectively.
Used carefully, AI has enormous potential to change the way that we live our lives for the better. And it can also make a number of our everyday tasks that little bit easier. Take writing an ‘Editor’s Comment’ for a magazine dedicated to the downstream oil and gas industry, as an example. Did any of you suspect that the previous three paragraphs above were created (in approximately 10 seconds) using Chat GPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI?
Just don’t tell my boss…
