Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to boost workforce productivity and job satisfaction and drive demand for new skills across the energy industry worldwide, according to the eighth annual Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) by Airswift.

The report found that 95% of energy professionals expect AI to increase demand for human skills, particularly technical skills such as programming/software engineering and IT, and soft skills such as critical thinking/problem solving and creativity. Meanwhile, 92% of professionals believe AI will prompt them to acquire new, in-demand skills ranging from cybersecurity to creativity.

Amid accelerating energy industry automation, 38% of energy professionals are already using AI or will begin to do so within six months, and 82% are optimistic about its impact. Most professionals (74%) believe automation will boost their productivity, while 60% say it will improve career prospects and job satisfaction, and 54% believe it will even improve work/life balance by freeing up more time for family and friends.

Almost a third (29%) expect the technology to increase R&D and innovation, and 28% expect an uptick in optimisation of production, services and/or solutions. However, employees report that lack of clarity on which tools are the best fit for the company and insufficient investment in AI are the biggest barriers to making greater use of AI.

The report also found that when it comes to the personal impact of AI in the next two years,  71% say productivity will increase, 58% say job satisfaction will increase and 58% say career and progression opportunities will increase.

When it comes to the use of AI in the oil and gas sector, the top three uses are workflow and workplace collaboration tools; safety and inspection improvements; and remote monitoring and automation.

Janette Marx, CEO of Airswift, said, “AI is increasing the demand for skills in the energy industry in everything from data security to software engineering. Meanwhile automating repetitive, logical tasks is unlocking the opportunity for greater use of human skills such as critical thinking and creativity, while freeing up time for professionals to develop these skills. Energy professionals that learn these newly in-demand skills will have more career choices in the future. Energy companies need to future-proof their skills base by transforming training to align with emerging AI skills gaps, while also recruiting talent from outside industries such as technology.”

Airswift’s data also showed that professionals anticipate some pitfalls to growing industry adoption of AI, especially lack of human or personal touch (42%), lack of training leading to misuse or poor adoption (33%) and the potential for cyber security risks (30%).

A third of energy companies now have AI policies that address some of these concerns such as data protection, integrity and security (52%) and training requirements (42%). Airswift noted that this leaves a significant portion that have yet to implement a formal AI policy.