Deputy Minister of Energy for Development and Project Management, Dr. Majid Al-Quwaiz, drew attention to the increasing energy consumption by data centers due to the growth and spread of AI applications.
Participating in the dialogue session on the second day of the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit, Dr. Al-Quwaiz emphasized the need to implement solutions that reduce the energy consumption of these applications and data. He outlined the positive steps taken by the Ministry of Energy in Saudi Arabia, including collaborations with various government sectors, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), which led to the launch of the Energy Center for Artificial Intelligence. “To facilitate such advancement, the Ministry of Energy established a General Directorate for Artificial Intelligence and Business Development to create an ideal working environment ensures our success in optimizing the energy sector's utilization of AI applications, aligning with Saudi Arabia's broader objective of enhancing energy efficiency" he said.
Eng. Mazen Al-Bahkali, CEO of the Saudi Power Procurement Company, also participated in the session, highlighting the Kingdom's significant strides in renewable energy, aligning with the sector's ambitious plan to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. Al-Bahkali underscored the annual growth plan of 20 GW in renewable energy generation, and the addition of energy storage capacities of up to 8 GWh per year through battery storage technologies.
Discussing AI potentials in these fields, Al-Bahkali described it as an enabler for the energy sector in the Kingdom, which drives the achievement of the desired objectives according to well-defined plans and contributes to streamlining and enhancing workflows.
“When AI is employed correctly and certain challenges and obstacles in its applications are addressed, it can optimize energy consumption and reduce energy costs through predictive applications", said Cinley Chen, the Chief Growth Officer and Senior Vice President of Supermicro. Chen commended Saudi Arabia's progress in cooling data centers and harnessing renewable energy, positioning the Kingdom as a leader in addressing these challenges.
John Ashley, Chief Architect, AI Nations & Director at NVIDIA, emphasized the significant role of AI in enhancing efficiency in vital sectors such as healthcare. He highlighted the advantages of AI in this sector and its ability to support physicians and improve patient care.
Cameron Porto, General Partner at Street Atlas, concluded the session by stressing the importance of transparency in renewable energy utilization. He emphasized the need to enhance monitoring and documentation mechanisms to ensure the optimal utilization of these resources, as well as developing methods to leverage various technologies to achieve these goals, given the current global technological advancements.
