AI and the global energy transition

The Fourth Industrial Revolution – artificial intelligence in particular – has the potential to solve some of the current conundrums of the green transition. Over the last two centuries, the world's major energy transitions were driven primarily by technological breakthroughs. The steam engine allowed coal to fuel the Industrial Revolution and displaced traditional biomass in the world energy mix. Then the internal combustion engine opened the door for oil to dominate the transport sector and the global energy mix for decades – a position it still holds to date. Today, one major development is still unfolding; its final impact is difficult to predict or even comprehend at this stage.