OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
AI is transforming the utilities sector
through innovative applications
DATA-LED DECISIONS
Kirsty McDermott from Sharper Shape explores AI’s role in next-generation utility asset management
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n an era fl ooded with AI buzzwords, the utility sector faces a critical question: are we maximising AI’s potential or
merely discussing it? Utilities face signifi cant challenges
with aging infrastructure, extreme weather, rising operational costs and increased demands for reliability. AI off ers a promising solution to these issues. Recent advances show how AI
can revolutionise asset management for utilities. Automated systems can now accurately identify and assess components on utility poles, streamlining inspections and minimising human error. These systems not only detect defects with high precision but also enhance maintenance eff iciency, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of
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critical assets. This shift from talk to action signals the next step towards the future of utility management.
AI IN ACTION To turn the theoretical into the practical, we can examine how AI technologies are already impacting the utility sector through innovative applications. For utilities especially, AI technology is no longer merely an experimental tool, but a proven solution. At Sharper Shape, we’ve been embedded in automating asset management for utilities for over a decade, honing what AI can look like and what it can provide for businesses with hundreds of miles of powerlines in the most remote locations. And of course, the industry has come a long way in the past ten years. Comparably, think of the smart phone you carried
Sharper Shape has been automating asset management for utilities for a decade
with you in 2014 versus Apple’s latest iPhone 16. The most advanced software goes
far beyond the machine learning that your summer intern could train in a couple of hours. And that’s not to undermine the work of interns, but today we’re deploying highly sophisticated tools that organise
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