International technology firms urge wider AI adoption across African energy sector

African energy companies risk being left behind if they do not urgently facilitate wider Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, according to Benoit Foubert, Vice President of Digital & Integration for Europe and Africa at global energy technology and oilfield services company SLB.

Speaking last week at the Powering the Intelligence Era panel during Africa Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference, Foubert warned delegates that the pace of technological change in the oil and gas sector was so rapid that companies faced becoming irrelevant if they failed to adapt.

He noted that innovations such as ChatGPT, which reached 100 million users in just four months compared to 16 years for mobile phones, underscored the urgency of accelerating digital adoption and workforce upskilling.

According to Foubert, the energy sector would become increasingly reliant on expanded access to cloud computing, data centres, and AI. However, outdated regulatory frameworks in many countries stalled the effective adoption of these technologies.

“Regulations written decades ago do not support the data-driven transformation needed today, especially in the oil and gas sector. We must develop modern legal frameworks and build the right talent with appropriate training to reuse intelligence technologies across the continent,” Foubert said as quoted by the African Energy Chamber (AEC) in a press release on October 2. He added that emerging oil and gas producers such as Uganda and Namibia had a unique opportunity to leapfrog legacy technological barriers by adopting digital solutions from the outset.

The integration of AI and supporting infrastructure should be a top priority for African energy players, said Tawanda Chihota, Communications Lead at AIQ, an Abu Dhabi – based AI solutions developer for the energy industry. “We have identified key pain points where AI delivers significant value, driving impact from upstream operations through to strategic boardroom decisions,” Chihota explained. AI, he added, was not a luxury but a necessity for Africa’s energy future and economic resilience.

From the technology side, Senior Director of Partnerships at Microsoft Energy and Resources Rob Schapiro pointed out that using generative AI to analyse historical data and automate report writing could shorten project permitting processes, which often take up to 12 years in Africa, by 40%, significantly cutting costs and accelerating development.

AI improved investment returns by reducing energy losses and de-risking projects, said Jessica Stang, Head of Investor Relations at Calvert International, a Switzerland-based investment firm focused on sustainable and infrastructure projects. Stang added that collaboration between governments, private sector and universities would be required to nurture innovation in Africa’s AI and energy landscape.

Craig Beebee, Senior Business Development Manager at US oilfield services provider Halliburton, discussed the tangible benefits already seen from AI deployment in challenging environments such as deepwater wells. Beebee described how sensors installed on hydraulic fracturing equipment supplied real-time data that helped detect potential mechanical failures before they occurred, preventing safety incidents. AI systems now act “like a traffic light,” he said, alerting teams when drilling conditions are unsafe and improving operational awareness across sites.

“AI is the new lubricant powering the entire energy value chain. Ignore AI at your peril or embrace it safely and efficiently,” Beebee concluded.