Oil and gas giant BP is set to expand its use of artificial intelligence through an extended partnership with Palantir, a US-based technology company known for its work with intelligence agencies. The five-year deal builds on a decade-long collaboration and will focus on using AI to accelerate engineers' decision-making processes.
The partnership involves the use of large language models to analyze data from BP's sites and generate advice for human operators. This technology has already been employed to create "digital twins" of BP's operations in various locations, including the Khazzan gasfields in Oman and offshore platforms in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Both companies emphasize that the new software is designed for "safe and reliable AI deployment" and to "guard against hallucinations" - a term referring to AI-generated false or invented claims. The use of AI technology is becoming increasingly prevalent across industries, sparking debates about its impact on existing jobs.
BP's senior vice-president for digital delivery, Sunjay Pandey, highlighted the benefits of advanced digital twin simulations in safely monitoring and optimizing production processes. Meanwhile, Palantir's representative, Matthew Babin, stressed the potential of their technology to accelerate human decision-making in conjunction with existing digital twin and operational workflows.
This AI expansion comes as part of BP's broader technology push under new CEO Murray Auchincloss. The company recently partnered with NASA to share technology and expertise gained from working in challenging environments.
The deal with Palantir, founded by Peter Thiel, has raised some eyebrows due to the company's controversial history, including its work with intelligence agencies and military organizations. However, BP seems focused on the potential benefits of AI in improving its operations and decision-making processes in the oil and gas industry.
