Industrial AI (Artificial Intelligence) is no longer a futuristic promise — it’s a proven, practical tool transforming how the world’s most complex industries operate. From oil and gas refineries to power plants, chemical facilities, and mining operations, AI is streamlining planning, boosting efficiency, and making work safer.
According to AI Multiple, more than 51% of European manufacturers have already adopted AI solutions, with adoption also accelerating in Japan (30%) and the US (28%). This momentum is now spreading far beyond traditional manufacturing and into the heart of process industries — where operational complexity, high risk, and tight margins demand smarter solutions.
The Rise of Industrial AI
Industrial AI isn’t just about saving time through automation — it’s about decision intelligence.
Across energy and process sectors, AI is helping operators improve workflows, reduce downtime, and adapt quickly to fluctuating demands.
Key AI Applications in Oil, Gas, and Power:
- Process Optimisation – Improves throughput and minimises waste
- Supply Chain Intelligence – Forecast material demand and improve logistics
- Predictive Maintenance – Anticipates equipment failures before they happen
- Safety and Compliance Automation – Create new work permits, check status, or identify expiring documents, using natural language commands, reducing risk and improving audit readiness
- Real-Time Decision Support – Uses advanced analytics to enable faster responses to operational disruptions
- AI-Assisted Turnaround Planning – Plans and estimates labor steps and material costs in seconds
This is more than a technology trend — it’s a fundamental shift in how work is planned and executed across critical infrastructure.
Why Industrial AI Matters for Oil, Gas, and Power
By embedding AI into event planning, shutdowns, maintenance, HSE, and daily operations, asset owners and stakeholders can:
- Improve safety with better visibility and real-time insights
- Reduce planning cycles to respond faster to market pressures
- Reduce operational costs and avoid unplanned downtime
- Increase productivity across entire industrial ecosystems
These are not theoretical benefits — they’re measurable. McKinsey research shows that AI-powered predictive maintenance can reduce machine downtime by 30–50% and lower quality-related costs by 10–20%.
For capital-intensive sectors like oil, gas, and power, those savings translate into millions of dollars in protected revenue and improved reliability.
Further Tangible Benefits of AI for Energy & Process Industries
AI solutions can deliver measurable ROI for organisations across their operations:
- An improved safety culture leading to fewer incidents and better compliance
- Higher product quality through AI-powered inspections
- Faster project delivery with AI-assisted scheduling
- Better resource allocation through advanced analytics
These improvements translate directly into lower costs, stronger margins, and improved operational resilience — essential considerations for organisations striving to prosper in an increasingly competitive industrial landscape.
AI in Action – iPlanAI by IAMTech: Turnaround Planning in Days, Not Years
Turnarounds and shutdowns are among the most complex, resource-intensive activities in oil, gas, and power operations. For decades, major projects on refineries, offshore platforms, power stations, and chemical plants have required enormous teams, countless spreadsheets, and months, often years, of preparation. iPlanAI by IAMTech changes that paradigm.
iPlanAI is an AI-powered turnaround planning solution that helps asset owners and operators:
- Scope and estimate entire turnarounds in days, not years
- Standardise work orders for clarity and consistency
- Reduce costly overruns and compress planning cycles
- From reactive to proactive — every job plan is generated using industry norms and safety-critical steps.
The result? Faster execution, greater confidence, and fewer disruptions to production, critical in industries where downtime equals millions in lost revenue.
To learn more about iPlanAI watch the video here: iPlanAI Preview
Smarter Safety in Action: iPermit2.0 – AI-Driven Permit-to-Work
Safety is non-negotiable in high-risk industries, and permit-to-work systems are central to keeping teams safe. Adopting an Electronic Permit to Work (ePTW) system not only increases the safety of all personnel but also protects your assets, improves efficiency, and ensures a robust and secure audit trail.
With iPermit2.0, IAMTech has taken ePTW to the next level. This next-generation solution combines connected ePTW, JSA, and isolations management with an AI-powered assistant that transforms permit management into a real-time, conversational experience.
Using natural-language and voice-enabled commands, teams can:
- Instantly check permit status
- Receive automatic expiry alerts
- Get compliance answers in seconds
The result is faster workflows, improved compliance, and reduced administrative overhead, freeing your teams to focus on safety-critical, high-value tasks instead of chasing paperwork.
Overcoming Adoption Challenges: Turning Caution into Competitive Advantage
It’s natural for industrial organisations to approach new technologies with caution, especially in high-risk, information-sensitive sectors like oil, gas, and power. Concerns about job displacement are common, but the truth is clear: industrial AI isn’t here to replace people — it’s here to empower them.
Despite its proven benefits, most companies are still early in their AI journey. The Manufacturing Leadership Council reports that 56% of manufacturers remain stuck in pilot programs, with only 28% successfully scaling AI across their operations.
The key to success is not rushing adoption but planning strategically. Careful implementation ensures that AI enhances, rather than disrupts, existing workflows.
Steps for a Seamless AI Adoption Strategy:
- Build the right data infrastructure – ensure data quality, integration, and accessibility
- Upskill teams – train staff to trust, interpret, and act on AI insights
- Protect critical systems – maintain strong cybersecurity and data governance
For more insights, see IAMTech MD Ross Coulman’s article: Why Your Software Project May Be Failing — and How to Revive It.
From Pilots to Performance: Embracing Industry 4.0
We’re rapidly moving toward a fully connected, AI-driven future where:
- IoT devices and sensors stream real-time data into AI systems
- Predictive and prescriptive analytics prevent failures before they occur
- Autonomous workflows reduce manual intervention and operational risk
This is Industry 4.0 in action — not a distant vision, but a reality that forward-thinking oil, gas, and power operators are deploying today.
Final Thought
Industrial AI is no longer an experiment — it’s the engine driving safer, faster, and more profitable operations across oil, gas, and power. The companies that embrace AI today are setting the performance benchmarks everyone else will be measured against tomorrow.
At IAMTech, we believe AI should deliver measurable value, not just hype. With iPlanAI and iPermit2.0, we are proving that AI can make industrial work safer, faster, and more cost-effective.
We’re not simply adopting AI — we’re setting a new benchmark for how industrial AI can reshape entire industries.
The winners will be those who turn AI from a buzzword into a business advantage.
Ready to see Industrial AI in action?
Discover how iPlanAI and iPermit AI can transform your turnaround planning and permit-to-work systems.
Author:
James Holt, Commercial Director - IAMTech.
Author Bio:
James Holt is the Commercial Director at IAMTech, having joined the company in May 2024 after over two decades in operational leadership roles within the global contracting sector. He spent 22 years managing operations, with the last two years responsible for overseeing the operational HSE Managers across the UK, Ireland, and Nordics. Prior to joining IAMTech, James served as Head of Performance at Altrad UK, Ireland & Nordics, where he was instrumental in enhancing efficiency and driving performance initiatives. His early leadership roles included global organisations such as Aker Kvaerner and Cape plc. James brings deep real-world insight into how industrial software products are adopted and used in the field.
