| | Oct - Dec 20198IN MY OPINIONNorv Clontz, Director of Data Science Innovation, Duke EnergyCan utilities use Artificial Intelligence? Are utilities using Artificial Intelligence? If utilities were using AI, how would you tell?Few terms are as widely used but little understood as "Artificial Intelligence." The term itself was coined in 1955 by a Dartmouth University professor. In the 60+ years since, AI has arrived, but a common understanding of the term has not.Thanks to Hollywood, the term AI conjures up images of Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, or C3PO in Star Wars. But this Hollywood version of Artificial Intelligence robots displaying consciousness and personality is not reality today. And truth be told, it isn't likely in the near term, or the medium term, if ever.AI, by definition, refers to any technique that enables computers to mimic human intelligence, not to recreate it. We operationalize AI by creating systems that make decisions on our behalf.ByCharting the Course to AI in a Public UtilityBy contrast, commonly appearing near the term "public utility" are adjectives such as stable, mature, staid, and so on. Rarely do we hear such terms as futuristic or visionary. Born during the Industrial Revolution, utilities would appear to be the farthest thing from the "born digital" startups with AI in their DNA, like Amazon or Uber or Tesla or Netflix. But appearances can be deceiving.Making a Virtue out of NecessityWhether willingly or not, undeniable developments are changing the entire landscape and driving utilities to pursue digital transformation and business innovation. These trends include:· Flat to declining load growth· Growing distributed generation· New entrants, including wholesalers and "born digital" startups
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