Utility Week

4 www.utilityweek.co.uk/fLeX U P F R O N T 4 www.utilityweek.co.uk/fLeX T hose who have delved online to ask, "Will a robot take my job?" might take comfort that the sort of engineering and scientific expertise many of those working in utilities possess is unlikely to be replaced by machines any time soon, according to a study by the Martin School at Oxford University. But that belies the profound impact that AI and machine learning will have on the operations of water and energy companies and their staff going forward. From bolstering resilience, to facilitating the move to a smart grid – and moving the dial on customer engagement – we're already seeing a plethora of applications. is third issue of Flex drills down into many of these exciting developments and provides a comprehensive round-up of how utility firms are harnessing today's advanced computer fire power, coupled with sensors and big data, to analyse, predict and engage. United Utilities is applying software, for example, to optimise how clean water is pumped around the North West so that it saves energy. On the other side of the Pennines, Yorkshire Water is one of several water companies putting the technology to work detecting leaks (page 22). As we also report on page 32, the power of AI to balance the supply and demand of electricity will help the transition to a more decentralised ecosystem fed by EVs and battery storage. e application of AI is still in its early days, and there are inevitably challenges to be overcome – not least legacy infrastructure where investment in sensors and other IT systems to collect the necessary data will be costly. Neither is it foolproof to apply AI to improve customer engagement. But get it right and the rewards are there to reap, greater productivity and happier customers conversing with voice assistants or chatbots (page 18). Meanwhile, staff can be freed to deal with complicated queries or more complex tasks. As Northumbrian's CIO Nigel Watson observes (page 12), in the longer term who knows where the technology will lead – autonomously driven fleets and machines talking to machines. But what is apparent to Watson and others featured in Flex is that the possibilities AI brings to improve utilities are immense. Denise Chevin Editor, Flex denisechevin@fav-house.com HARVI saves electricity for United Utilities By Denise Chevin I n October 2018, United Utilities became the first water company in the UK to introduce large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) into its operational systems. It signed a framework agreement with Canadian start-up Emagin to roll out AI across its entire water network in the North West of England, after initial trials demonstrated energy savings of 22 per

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