By: Karen Willis, Technical Director, Built Environment, Daniel Abbate, Technical Director, Industrial/Core, and Brian Marchionini, Technical Director, Mobility & Grid.  

AI standards are critical to ensuring the reliability, safety, and interoperability of connected systems used across the electroindustry. These standards provide a structured framework for the development and deployment of AI technologies, leading to consistent performance and enhanced safety. Standards also enable AI models to reliably predict equipment failures and optimize energy usage, thereby increasing overall operational efficiency and avoiding costly downtime.

The transformative potential of AI in the electroindustry is significant -- not only advancing operational efficiency but driving innovative solutions that can revolutionize the industry.

AI standards promote interoperability between different systems and devices within the electroindustry, facilitating seamless integration of digital solutions into existing infrastructure. This is crucial for applications such as smart grids, automated energy management, and industrial automation, where diverse systems must work together harmoniously. Standards developed by organizations like NEMA help harmonize AI technologies, enabling cohesive and efficient operations across various platforms. Additionally, these standards address ethical considerations, including data privacy, bias, and accountability. Companies that adhere to these guidelines can build trust with consumers and stakeholders, demonstrating their commitment to safe and ethical AI practices. 

The electroindustry pioneered early versions of AI to help with predictive maintenance and optimize processes, but the recent boom in AI technology has ushered in a new era that promises to redefine the future of manufacturing. Much-needed new AI standards can provide a structured framework for the development and deployment of AI technologies for the electric grid, built environment, mobility and industrial sectors.

Grid Sector

AI has the potential to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of the electric grid by analyzing vast amounts of data from sensors, smart meters, and other grid devices to optimize grid operations in real-time. AI-driven predictive maintenance tools can anticipate equipment failures before they occur, significantly reducing downtime and maintenance costs. These systems use machine learning models to detect anomalies in grid performance and trigger alerts for preventive actions.

AI is also playing a crucial role in the integration of renewable energy sources. By accurately forecasting weather patterns and energy production from solar and wind farms, AI helps balance supply and demand on the grid, vital for managing the intermittent nature of renewable and ensuring grid stability. Additionally, AI optimizes energy storage systems, maximizing renewable resource use and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Moreover, AI strengthens grid cybersecurity by identifying and responding to potential threats more effectively than traditional methods. Machine learning algorithms continuously monitor network traffic and device behavior to detect unusual activities indicative of cyberattacks. By learning from previous incidents and adapting to new attack patterns, AI systems provide robust defense mechanisms that are essential for protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining the resilience of the electric grid.

Built Environment

AI also has applications in the built environment by enhancing energy efficiency, optimizing space utilization, and improving occupant comfort and safety. AI-driven systems analyze data from sensors, smart meters, and other IoT devices to optimize heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting, and other energy-consuming processes. These systems can learn from historical data and predict future energy needs, leading to substantial energy savings and reduced carbon footprints. For example, AI can adjust lighting and HVAC settings based on occupancy patterns and weather forecasts, ensuring that energy is used efficiently while maintaining comfort.

AI is revolutionizing space utilization and facility management. Smart building management systems use AI to analyze data on how spaces are used, identifying patterns and trends that can inform better space planning and utilization strategies. This leads to more efficient use of office spaces, meeting rooms, and common areas, ultimately reducing operational costs. AI-driven predictive maintenance also monitors building systems and equipment, predicting when maintenance is needed, and preventing costly breakdowns, ultimately extending asset lifespans.

AI is also enhancing occupant experience and safety. Intelligent security systems use AI to analyze video footage and sensor data to detect and respond to unusual activities, enhancing security protocols. AI-powered personal assistants and smart home systems can learn user preferences and behaviors to provide personalized experiences, improving convenience, comfort, and safety.

Mobility

AI is transforming the mobility and transportation sector by enhancing safety, optimizing traffic management, and revolutionizing vehicle operations. In terms of safety, AI is crucial in the development of autonomous vehicles, enabling them to navigate complex environments by processing data from various sensors such as cameras, LiDAR, and radar. These systems use machine learning algorithms to recognize objects, predict the behavior of other road users, and make real-time decisions to avoid accidents.

Traffic management is another area where AI is making significant strides. AI-powered traffic management systems analyze data from various sources to monitor and predict traffic conditions, optimizing flow, reducing congestion, and improving efficiency. For example, Los Angeles and Singapore have implemented AI-driven traffic signal systems that adjust in real-time based on current traffic conditions, leading to reduced travel times and lower emissions. Additionally, AI is used in public transportation systems to predict and manage passenger flows, improving the efficiency and reliability of services.

AI is being utilized in rail electrification applications to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and predictive maintenance. AI systems analyze data from various sensors installed on trains and tracks to monitor the condition of electrification infrastructure in real-time, enabling early detection of potential issues and reducing downtime. AI systems are pushing the bounds of modern rail transit by optimizing energy usage and scheduling, reducing delays and improving service reliability.

Industrial

In the industrial sector, AI is enhancing production efficiency, improving quality control, and enabling predictive maintenance. AI-powered systems optimize manufacturing processes by analyzing data from sensors and machines on the factory floor. These systems can identify bottlenecks, predict demand, and adjust production schedules in real-time, leading to increased efficiency and reduced waste. For example, manufacturers use AI to optimize their production lines, resulting in significant cost savings and higher output rates.

AI also plays a critical role in quality control by analyzing images and data from production lines to detect defects and inconsistencies that human inspectors might miss. This ensures that only products that meet strict quality standards proceed to the next stage of production, reducing the likelihood of costly recalls and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Predictive maintenance is another significant application of AI in manufacturing. By continuously monitoring the condition of machinery through sensors and IoT devices, AI algorithms can predict when equipment is likely to fail and schedule maintenance before breakdowns occur. This approach minimizes downtime and extends equipment lifespans, leading to substantial cost savings.

Challenges and Considerations

Standards, guidelines, and recommended practices will be essential to unlocking the full potential of AI in the electroindustry. NEMA has been a leader in ensuring that electrical products and systems meet the highest levels of safety, performance, and interoperability. But despite its transformative potential, integrating AI is not without challenges.

The pace of AI development is incredibly fast, with new algorithms, technologies, and applications emerging regularly. This rapid evolution makes it difficult to create standards that remain relevant and adaptable over time. Ensuring that standards keep up with technological advancements requires continuous updates and revisions, which can be resource-intensive. Tailoring guidelines to different sectors while maintaining overall coherence is complex.

Additional issues include data privacy concerns, cybersecurity risks, and the need for upskilling the workforce to operate and maintain AI-driven systems. Developing comprehensive training programs and resources to facilitate understanding and compliance with AI standards is essential.

The use of AI in the electroindustry also raises important ethical and legal questions, particularly concerning data privacy, bias in decision-making, and accountability for AI-driven actions. Developing standards and public policies that addresses these concerns will require careful consideration and collaboration with legal and ethical experts as well as policymakers and lawmakers on both the state and federal level, adding multiple layers of complexity to the process.

Recent attention to AI by policymakers and lawmakers across the political spectrum derives mainly from the consuming public’s access to generative AI models, namely ChatGPT. This has caused some to see the potential value of what AI can do to improve processes and make systems more accountable, as demonstrated in the White House’s October 2023 Executive Order on the safe, secure, and trustworthy development of AI throughout government operations. Similarly, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled an AI-framework document detailing how AI can be used safely and responsibly but also the need to invest and mature the technology. This report came after numerous off-the-record listening sessions with numerous industries to learn how AI is being used wholistically throughout the economy.

Yet, despite interest by the federal government, there is hesitation currently to impose economy-wide rules, restrictions, or boundaries around AI technology. This largely is because there is no universal definition of AI that can be agreed upon. This has led some states, including California and Connecticut, to introduce their own laws aimed at regulating AI development. Such actions are causing concern that this will lead to the creation of an AI patchwork, where multiple states have multiple, and often conflicting, definitions and philosophies around an issue. When it comes to regulating novel technologies, this appears to be common, as there are more than a dozen states that have various laws governing data privacy. In the short term, AI is likely to be no different.

Conclusion

The trends in AI that are poised to increase profitability in manufacturing are centered around optimization, efficiency, and predictive maintenance. By leveraging AI technologies, manufacturers, grid operators, and building managers can not only streamline operations but also improve customer satisfaction and drive revenue growth. As AI continues to evolve and integrate deeper into all aspects of manufacturing, grid operations, and building management, it will become an increasingly critical investment in a digital and data-driven world.

NEMA has been dedicated to the development of electrotechnical standards and guidelines for almost 100 years, While the establishment of AI standards, guidelines, policies, and recommended practices is crucial for the electroindustry, fully realizing AI’s transformative potential will require the same collaboration, flexibility, and forward-thinking that have long been hallmarks of NEMA’s approach.