AltGen’s Fireside Chats: An overload of Information
Not the article you were looking for? Browse our other resources here.
Discombobulation, Curiosity, and AI skills
This is the fourth and final piece in the green hydrogen segment of this series where we attempt to tie each element of our past discussions together. It is also the beginning of a new conversation about how data and AI software, whilst incredibly important, should not replace critical thinking, nor be prioritised above intellectual curiosity. Across the globe, organisations are increasingly relying on data-driven decision-making and numerous tools are being used to aid in these processes. In the energy industry, data is highly valuable, however, arguably should not be used in isolation.
We have squawked, grumbled, growled, and chewed on the themes of collaboration and partnership, communication and understanding, and upskilling and upscaling. Today, we are hoping to tie it all together with some creative thinking and fresh conversations.
AltGen’s (New) Burning Questions
- Is it possible to replace traditional competitive advantage with collaborative advantage?
- Is it possible to redefine what the word ‘team’ means in the energy industry?
- How can changing the way that we look at these concepts, change the future of the green energy transition for the better?
Our panellists include Peter Oldacre, CCO at Protium and vintage car enthusiast, Maxime Lepinoy, Technical Director for Africa at Fortescue, and Teal Emery, Founder of Teal Insights, Consultant at AidData, Adjunct lecturer in International Economics & Finance at Johns Hopkins University, and Fellow at the Energy for Growth Hub.
Top challenges shortlisted by our Panelists
Today we’ll be tackling the second challenge…Policy and Legislation. This Fireside Chat is the second in a series of four on the feasibility of green hydrogen projects in South Africa.
- Communication
- Policy and Legislation
- Finding Skills at Scale
- Overload of Information
*Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter for the latest Fireside Chat updates.
Overload of Information: ‘Discombobulation and Confusion’
In an age of information where virtually everyone has access to everything and can, at any time, share their opinion accordingly, there is a lot of noise out there. Although this unquestionably has its benefits, too much information can cause a considerable amount of confusion and chaos, which in turn, can make decision-making processes overly complicated.
“I think when we look at the energy industry, there is just so much hype and noise that sometimes we just need something to ground our decisions in.”
– Teal Emery, Founder – Teal Insights
With new information about green hydrogen technology becoming available every day, making any decision can prove difficult. Questions like “Should we invest in this electrolyser now or wait for a more advanced one to become available in the market?” do not have definitive answers. This is one seemingly simple question amongst countless others that one imagines popping up around the green hydrogen dinner table.
How do we decide which questions need to be answered now, whether we’re asking the right questions, and where possible answers may lie? How do we use the data that we have amassed to make better decisions now?
1) Using AI software across the integration frontier…
As we mentioned in our last Fireside Chat (In case you missed it; Finding skills at Scale), AI software is already being used in the renewable energy industry to optimise both designs and processes. Machine learning, a subfield of AI, involves training algorithms to learn from data without explicitly being programmed. This type of AI can analyse inputted information, identify patterns, and make predictions based on historical data.
“Machine learning AI can be used to predict consumption patterns, to build demand-responsive management in real-time, it can be used to automate, to balance, to understand. Ultimately, this type of AI can be used as a technology management tool across the integration frontier.”
– Peter Oldacre, CEO – Protium
“I’m not trying to test their ability to learn and understand the details of the programming language. I want them to use this as a tool to understand the world.”
– Teal Emery, Founder – Teal Insights
2) Leading with Purpose
“High-quality data doesn’t naturally result in high-quality decision-making. You need a leader with purpose and the ability to comprehend the data. That’s where effective decisions get made.”
“The human ability to add value across domains, a lot of time lies in this ability to synthesise information across ideas that don’t always fit together easily. And I think that that’s particularly true in clean energy where there is a lot of innovation. It is that sort of higher-level integration that I think humans are better able to do and if you can get the smaller things off your plate, it gives you more time to innovate and I think that’s a good thing.”
– Teal Emery, Founder – Teal Insights
“What I enjoy working with is a mindset where we push each other, I want people to push me on my commitments, and what that allows for is a common understanding that I will push you.”
The challenges that green hydrogen projects face come with a considerable amount of data attached to them, data which continues to accumulate daily. With an avalanche of information hurtling towards them, decision-makers in the green hydrogen space have to make the right choice quickly. If we are looking for a more efficient, more effective way to scale up green hydrogen skills, lean teams might be the way to go.
