In a groundbreaking move, ADNOC, a prominent energy leader in the United Arab Emirates, is poised to introduce highly autonomous agentic artificial intelligence (AI) into the energy sector. This initiative marks a significant milestone, as ADNOC collaborates with partners G42, Microsoft, and AIQ. The announcement was made by CEO Sultan Al Jaber during an industry event held in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
As a prosperous oil-producing nation and a longstanding security ally of the U.S., the UAE is seeking enhanced access to American technology to foster its own advanced technology sector.
This initiative is spearheaded by G42, which secured a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft in April, aimed at diversifying the UAE's economy beyond oil dependency.
"The rapid advancement of AI is generating a surge of capabilities that few anticipated just 18 months ago, when ChatGPT gained prominence," stated Jaber, who also serves as the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and President of COP28.
Agentic AI represents a significant evolution in artificial intelligence, enabling systems to function autonomously and execute tasks on behalf of users.
"It will not only analyze vast amounts of data but will also proactively and independently pinpoint operational enhancements," Jaber explained. "This technology will reduce the duration of seismic surveys from months to days and enhance the accuracy of production forecasts by as much as 90%."
The UAE is investing billions into artificial intelligence, which includes the creation of chatbot applications in Arabic and Hindi, akin to OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Emirati officials are confident that the Gulf state's investment in artificial intelligence will bolster its global influence, positioning it as a vital economic player even after the demand for oil diminishes.