BP, a major player in the oil and gas industry, has recently entered into a five-year partnership with Palantir, a US company specializing in spy technology, to utilize artificial intelligence in expediting engineering decision-making processes.
This collaboration entails the implementation of large-scale language models to automate the analysis of data collected from BP’s various sites, thereby generating recommendations that can assist human decision-makers in drawing informed conclusions.
The partnership between BP and Palantir builds upon a longstanding relationship that has involved the use of Palantir’s technology to create digital replicas of BP’s oil and gas operations, such as the Khazan gas field in Oman and offshore oil platforms in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico, including the location of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident.
Both companies affirm that their previous collaboration has led to performance enhancements, and the new software aims to ensure the safe deployment of reliable AI while guarding against potential inaccuracies or fabrications commonly associated with generative AI models.
The utilization of generative AI is becoming increasingly prevalent across various industries, from retail interactions to research and writing support, sparking debates on whether AI will replace or enhance existing job roles.
Sanjay Pandey, BP’s senior vice president of digital delivery, highlighted the benefits of employing advanced digital twin simulation techniques to optimize production processes and enhance operational performance in a secure manner.
Palantir’s Matthew Babin expressed enthusiasm about the potential of their technology to accelerate human decision-making by leveraging existing digital twins and operational workflows.
Noteworthy projects of Palantir include a five-year contract to develop a large-scale data platform for the NHS, raising privacy concerns about patient data security. The company’s founder, Peter Thiel, has been associated with supporting political figures like Donald Trump and has a history of collaborating closely with intelligence and military organizations.
Under the leadership of Murray Auchincloss, BP has been actively enhancing its technological capabilities, as evidenced by recent agreements such as the partnership with NASA to exchange expertise gained from working in challenging environments.
Additionally, BP made an investment of $5m (£3.8m) in Belmont Technology in 2019 to accelerate its AI platform development.
Source: www.theguardian.com