The world around us is shifting faster than we ever imagined.
In Singapore and across Southeast Asia, we are witnessing an inflection point: a region rapidly urbanising, digitising, and electrifying—all at once. From green data centres in the north to smart industrial parks in Batam and Johor, the momentum is clear. But the road to decarbonisation is not paved by technology alone. It is shaped—and ultimately stewarded—by people.
One of the most powerful tools reshaping this path today is artificial intelligence (AI). In energy management, it is already transforming how we operate our buildings, factories, and infrastructure. But here is the truth I want to underscore: AI is not replacing human capability. It is amplifying it.
A new chapter for efficiency
Years ago, when I walked the floors of facilities, energy management was largely an art. A facility manager relied on experience, instinct, and a paper checklist to optimise performance. Those instincts still matter—but today, they are augmented by digital dashboards, live data, and AI models that never sleep.
AI helps us optimise energy use in real time. It learns from patterns we might miss. It flags anomalies before they become outages. Take predictive maintenance—once a reactive cost, now a proactive advantage. In one global project, our AI models helped identify heat-rate inefficiencies in thermal power assets, reducing emissions and fuel usage in tandem (McKinsey, 2023).
But more than speed or automation, AI introduces something deeper: the ability to challenge our assumptions.
At Schneider Electric, we’ve seen AI uncover that certain HVAC systems perform more efficiently outside the usual peak/off-peak windows. It’s not just automating tasks—it’s changing the questions we ask. And that, to me, is where the opportunity lies.
Insight #1: AI as a challenger of assumptions
For many years, we operated on fixed routines: “Turn this off at 7PM. Reduce cooling at midday.” But AI doesn’t rely on rules—it relies on data. And data often tells a different story.
In several buildings we’ve worked with across Asia, AI models revealed usage spikes caused not by occupancy, but by poor zoning or ventilation lag. These are inefficiencies even veteran managers might miss—not due to incompetence, but due to complexity.
The future of energy efficiency is not just about smarter systems. It’s about letting AI provoke us to ask: “What have we always done that no longer serves us?”
Insight #2: Human + AI > Either alone
There is a concept I’ve come to respect deeply: the “centaur model.” Half human, half machine—not in science fiction, but in decision-making. Teams that combine human judgment with AI capabilities consistently outperform either one alone.
In our regional operations, this plays out daily. A plant manager, guided by AI forecasts, can schedule production shifts to minimise peak demand. A building engineer can adjust loads based on granular occupancy models. But the AI doesn’t act on its own—it suggests. The human still decides.
This is why we believe AI literacy—not coding, but the ability to interpret and apply AI insights—will become as critical as engineering certifications in the years to come.
Insight #3: Ethics must guide deployment
Let us be honest: with every great technology comes great responsibility. And AI is no exception.
Across Southeast Asia, where energy access and equity remain complex issues, we must ensure AI is used ethically—not to entrench gaps, but to bridge them. At Schneider Electric, our Code of Conduct commits us to transparency, fairness, and human oversight in all AI applications.
Globally, we are seeing the rise of AI Ethics Officers, new governance roles, and sharper conversations around bias and accountability (FT, 2024). I believe this is not optional. It is essential. Especially as AI becomes embedded in critical infrastructure, the stakes are too high for shortcuts.
Upskilling: The Southeast Asia opportunity
I am especially hopeful when I look at the potential in Southeast Asia. We are a region of youth, energy, and ambition. But we must be honest with ourselves: the digital skills gap is still real.
A recent report highlighted that fewer firms in Singapore are adopting sustainability initiatives due to a lack of internal capabilities. This must change—and it can change.
At Schneider Electric, we are investing in upskilling across the region. Through partnerships with institutions and vocational programmes, we are helping workers transition from manual roles to digital ones—from reactive maintenance to proactive management.
Because in the end, AI is only as good as the people who guide it.
Looking ahead: From technology to leadership
This is not about gadgets or dashboards. It is about how we lead.
AI will not determine the future of energy—we will. By choosing to learn, to question, and to lead with ethics, we can ensure that this technology serves our collective mission: to build a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive world.
So I leave you with this:
What skill will you invest in this year—not just to keep up with technology, but to lead it?
Learn more about how Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ platform is using AI to unlock smarter energy use across Southeast Asia.
👉Curious about the future of energy leadership? Join me and industry peers at the upcoming CXO Breakfast to explore these trends in depth.
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