Exploring the jagged frontier of AI innovation by Eric Eriksen

It’s that time of year when kids head back to school. Families are celebrating life milestones while adjusting to the change. My two children are young adults now, but I still very much cherish those memories. And thankfully, I have a few photos too. I wish your families a safe and happy start to the school year.

Here’s the challenge… your child may start bringing homework to you asking for help. They might say, “Mom/Dad, I’ve been learning about Artificial Intelligence (AI), and especially Generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot. I’m excited with how it can help, but also a little scared – and confused. Can you help me with my homework to figure out what the impact of AI will have on our future?” What are you going to do?  

AI is a hot topic, sometimes exciting, sometimes a little scary, and mostly unknown. It has the potential to bring many opportunities – and a few challenges – to the electric utility sector too. I wanted to share that we are beginning to investigate AI and how it can be utilized to better serve you.

Last week, I was invited to Harvard University to participate in a new program on Strategic Leadership, AI, and Change Initiatives for the electric industry. It included free tuition. And I passed! My family and REC were proud. 

I learned new perspectives on AI. Contrary to what Hollywood would have you believe, AI can’t think for itself. AI doesn’t increase productivity; it expands capabilities. Imagine the various AI platforms we hear about as tools in the toolbox. Like picking up a wrench, we will be stronger with AI. We are now learning when and where to grab the right tool for the job, hence the jagged frontier of AI innovation. Harvard presented resounding data illustrating that AI isn’t just Hollywood hype; rather, it is here to stay. In the not very distant future, ChatGPT and Copilot will be like Word and Excel are to us today.

As we consider emerging AI tools, our focus won’t be so much on the technology itself as on better serving members with real value. If AI can streamline a process, predict an issue or improve service for our members, it’s worth considering. It could even help our employees better manage the local electric grid, predict storm or wildfire responses to deploy crews more efficiently, and improve member services. Ultimately, AI consists of different types of new tools that can help utilities like SLVREC/Ciello serve you better, making energy more reliable, services faster, and operations more efficient.

So are you ready to help with homework and capture life’s precious moments?

Send us your feedback. Whether it’s asking to learn more, identifying a hazard, asking for help or letting us know when we mess up. We want to hear from you. Connect with us online, in person, or through our social media channels. However you choose to connect, please let us know how we can serve you better.