Αζερμπαϊτζάν: ΤΝ και έξυπνα δίκτυα για αναδιαμόρφωση ενέργειας στην 4η βιομηχανική επανάσταση
Ο Fariz Jafarov του C4IR του Αζερμπαϊτζάν εξηγεί πώς η τεχνητή νοημοσύνη, τα έξυπνα δίκτυα και η ψηφιακή καινοτομία αναδιαμορφώνουν τα ενεργειακά συστήματα και επιταχύνουν τη στροφή της χώρας προς ένα πιο βιώσιμο μέλλον.
01:00As the world shifts towards net zero, new technologies such as AI are playing an increasingly central role in energy systems.
01:09AI can help smooth integration of renewables like solar and wind into the energy mix,
01:15balance decentralized and digitalized power grids,
01:19boost the capacity of transmission lines through smart sensors,
01:23optimize energy flows and manage maintenance more smoothly.
01:27AI will also boost energy efficiency in offices and homes.
01:32However, AI is energy hungry.
01:35Huge data centers use as much power as 100,000 homes,
01:40and electricity demand for data centers is forecast to double by 2030.
01:46So how do we make the most of new technology to build a greener and more sustainable energy future?
01:52I'm delighted to say that I'm joined in studio now by Fariz Javarov.
01:57He is the executive director of C4IR Azerbaijan.
02:01It's wonderful to see you today, Fariz.
02:03Thank you so much for your invitation.
02:05Let me start by asking you about the center,
02:08because it's part of the World Economic Forum's network of C4IR.
02:12Talk to me about the measurable impact of the center since it launched and your goals for the year ahead.
02:17Back in 2016, the head of World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab,
02:21he came up with the idea of forced industrial revolution,
02:24which there are several technologies like artificial intelligence,
02:28Internet of Things, 3D and 4D printing, biotechnologies, nanotechnologies,
02:35and things are integrated with each other,
02:38and that shapes the whole economy, our life.
02:40Therefore, World Economic Forum created a special center, C4IR,
02:45Center for Force and Industrial Revolution, back in 2017 in San Francisco.
02:50And we became a part of this network in 2021.
02:54So basically, we attract international expertise to Azerbaijan using the network.
02:59We make sure that digital economy is in place.
03:02We help people to gain knowledge and experience in the time of the Force and Industrial Revolution.
03:08We also bring international technologies like adoption in different industries.
03:14We prepare some strategies.
03:16When it comes to AI and advancing technologies,
03:19what are you deploying in Azerbaijan to help improve efficiency, not least in the energy sector?
03:24AI for energy and energy for AI.
03:28There's a paradox in the world.
03:29AI-related data centers may increase the usage of energy around 50% annually.
03:38But at the same time, application of AI can minimize the energy consumption around 60%.
03:45So basically, since the world is growing, technologies are applied in different places.
03:50Sensors are there.
03:52Internet of Things are there.
03:54That requires a lot of energy.
03:55But at the same time, those technologies help us to reduce emission of carbon dioxide,
04:03to reduce the cost of labor, cost of production.
04:08So basically, it's a kind of balancing each other.
04:11What are the greatest challenges you're currently facing with this integration and adoption?
04:15And how are you making sure that your strategies and policies, ambitions align with SDGs?
04:20Because technology is changing very fast, it's very difficult to make the regulations and laws aligned with all these changes.
04:30At the same time, we have to make sure that Azerbaijani citizens are ready to foster those technologies in the country.
04:38So we have to equip them with skills, with education, with knowledge, in order to be adaptable to all the kind of changes happening.
04:46As a country, we have several papers and strategies.
04:51One of them recently adopted and signed by the president about AI strategy.
04:57We have digital development concept and the digital economy development strategies on the way.
05:03So basically, that shows Azerbaijan's vision for adoption of different technologies in different sectors of the economy in upcoming years.
05:15Many nations are discussing the fourth industrial revolution.
05:19Many are still at the pilot stages.
05:21How do you, how does the world move from those small trials to widespread adoption?
05:25So basically, we have started to apply several methodologies, international methodologies, as a pilot project in different sectors, including Industry 4.0 approach, to understand the gaps of SMEs, small and medium enterprises, to understand their technological readiness, to understand the institutional readiness, and to understand their business gaps.
05:50Based on that, we developed a digital transformation roadmap, where actually they can apply technologies in order to minimize their cost, to have predictive analytics, to make decisions based on the data, and at the end, to have a bit around 20%, so to increase the profit and also to decrease their labor costs.
06:09At the same time, now we are giving special programs for SMEs, and we want to extend this program to more than 650 SMEs by the end of 2030.
06:21Looking ahead to 2035, give me your view of a truly modern economy.
06:27How is it powered, and more importantly, how is it governed?
06:30So basically, the biological, digital, and physical spheres are going very, like, converged to each other, faster.
06:40Very soon, we will see smart houses, more than 70% probably.
06:44We will see robots in different sectors, like dark factories.
06:48There is no electricity used in that robots, like lights, but the robots itself will, like, produce different products 24-7, non-stop.
07:01By 2035, it will extend in different areas, like autonomous vehicle, probably e-vehicles, will be around 60-70% usage.
07:11And imagine that if autonomous vehicles are talking to each other, there might be less congestion and traffic jam, and there will be less emission of the CO2 in different countries.
07:26So the world is changing very fast, but we have to make sure that human is always in the loop.
07:32So human-centric technologies are used, because those technologies are for humanity.
07:38Humanity is not for the technology.
07:40Fariz Javarov, thank you so much for speaking to me today.
07:43We have to leave our conversation there.
07:44Thank you so much.
07:46Well, that wraps up this edition of Energy Frontiers.
07:48But join me again next time from Baku in Azerbaijan.
