Letter from Abu Dhabi: AI and the new energy guzzlers

The energy sector will need all viable technologies to meet surging demand as AI and datacentres drain power grids

This year’s ADIPEC conference took place against a backdrop of acute geopolitical risk for global energy markets, from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine to trade tensions and a contentious US election with potentially big ramifications for the industry. But it was hard not to conclude that an even bigger disruptor was the showstopper in Abu Dhabi: AI. This technology’s influence over energy supply and demand is growing at a rate that threatens to wrongfoot swathes of the industry. “This is probably the biggest revolution that we will see in our careers on productivity and enhancement” Auchincloss, BP AI and datacentres are the new energy guzzlers. They are already driving up e