Shell, C3 AI, Baker Hughes, and Microsoft Together Launching Open AI Energy Idea to Help the Energy Industry Transform

Shell (NYSE: RDS), C3 AI (NYSE: AI), Baker Hughes (NYSE: BKR), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) have declared the launch of the Open AI Energy Initiative (OAI). It is a first-of-its-kind open ecosystem based on artificial intelligence solutions that will work efficiently in the energy and process industries. The OAI will provide a framework for service providers, energy operators, independent software vendors, and equipment providers to offer interoperable solutions, which will include AI and physics-based models, diagnostics, monitoring, and prescriptive actions powered by the BHC3™ AI Suite and Microsoft Azure.

About this launch, C3 AI CEO Thomas M. Siebel mentioned that "this initiative has combined global leaders' efforts to accelerate the digital transformation of the energy industry. This will form a new, safe, and secure energy for ultimate climate security. The primary OAI solutions provided by Shell and Baker Hughes are highly focused on reliability and designed to improve uptime and performance of energy assets and the entire process. These reliable solutions will further serve as extensions to the existing BHC3 Reliability application, an AI-based application.

The AI-enabled applications will be able to predict process and equipment performance risks beforehand for the energy industry, which later could be resolved at any point in time. Such application leverages the BHC3 AI Suite's ability to amalgamate enterprise-scale data from disparate data sources and train AI reliability models. And will cover full plant operations while taking full advantage of Azure, Microsoft's scalable, enterprise-class cloud infrastructure.

Moving forward, The OAI will augment BHC3 Applications with partner-led, domain-specific solutions. This will accelerate AI-based reliability solutions and would unlock significant economic value across the energy industry. Finally, this process will help to make energy production cleaner, safer, and more efficient than before. The solutions available in the present time include proven and tested equipment-and process-specific modules with pre-trained AI models, low-latency data connectors, codified subject matter expertise, global health monitoring services, thermodynamic and operating parameter libraries, failure prevention recommendations, in-depth diagnostics, and prescriptive actions.

In addition to these, Shell Chief Technology Officer Yuri Sebregts says that digital technologies and AI are helping them improve core business today.  And in this way, it would build the energy businesses of the future. Over the last few years, they have been working with C3 AI to scale AI-based predictive maintenance solutions in order to reduce costs and improve the productivity, reliability, and performance of assets. The company is already monitoring more than 5,200 pieces of equipment using machine learning across upstream and downstream manufacturing and incorporated gas assets. In the end, there is a different type of excitement in this launch that will show the capability to market and would develop an open ecosystem where others can offer AI solutions to help improve reliability across the industry.

In the same vein, Uwem Ukpong, executive vice president of regions, alliances & enterprise sales at Baker Hughes, also added some of his ideas on this launch. He says, "Taking energy forward has introduced many new technology approaches. It leveraged collaboration, open data standards, and cutting-edge AI capabilities at the same time to a great extent. Working alongside alliance partners at C3 AI and with industry leaders at Shell and Microsoft, the OAI will help deal with the persistent industry challenge of non-productiveness. This new ecosystem will influence a strong existing BHC3 portfolio. It will be a promising step in the digital transformation of energy."

Like all others, Microsoft is also committed to the transformation of the energy sector and is supporting solutions like the Open AI Energy Initiative substantially," said Microsoft Vice President of Energy Darryl Willis. On the other hand, Microsoft's participation in the Open AI Energy Initiative will help to advance the transition to a net-zero emissions future." Therefore, with this already-established coalition of leading organizations—C3 AI, Baker Hughes, Shell, and Microsoft, the OAI is poised to firmly establish AI's ecosystem for the energy industry.

About C3.ai, Inc.

C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE: AI), a leading provider of enterprise AI software for accelerating digital transformation, is popularly known for delivering fully integrated products. The products as C3 AI® Suite: an end-to-end platform for developing, deploying, and operating large-scale AI applications, C3 AI Applications: a portfolio of industry-specific SaaS AI applications, C3 AI CRM: a suite of industry-specific CRM applications designed for AI and machine learning, and C3 AI Ex Machina: a no-code AI solution to apply data science for everyday business chores. The nucleus of the C3 AI offers an open, model-driven AI architecture that simplifies data science and application development vividly.

About Royal Dutch Shell plc

Based in England and Wales, Royal Dutch Shell plc works mainly from its headquarters in The Hague. It is listed on the Amsterdam‚ London‚ and New York stock exchanges. It has operations in more than 70 countries and territories. It includes businesses regarding oil and gas exploration and production, manufacturing‚ marketing, shipping oil products, chemicals, renewable energy projects, and production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids.

About Baker Hughes

Baker Hughes (NYSE: BKR), an energy technology company, provides solutions to energy and industrial customers globally. This company's innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward and addressing it safer, cleaner, and more efficient for people and the planet.