Africa: Utilities must ground AI use in strategy, not hype

Utilities in Africa must critically assess their needs before investing in new technologies, says Barry MacColl, EPRI Senior Regional Manager

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no silver bullet, but with the right focus, it can solve real pain points in the utility sector in Africa, says Barry MacColl, Senior Regional Manager at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

Speaking to ESI Africa News Editor Theresa Smith at Enlit Africa 2025 in Cape Town, MacColl cautioned against inflated expectations around AI.

He encouraged utilities and municipalities to be clear-eyed and strategic when adopting digital tools.

“Artificial intelligence isn’t magic. It won’t arrive in your workplace and fix everything overnight. What’s needed is a clear understanding of what problems you’re actually trying to solve.”

MacColl highlighted the importance of identifying critical operational challenges before chasing digital solutions. 

“Start by asking: ‘what’s causing the most pain in your business?’ Once that’s clear, look for AI use cases that can meaningfully address that,” he said.

MacColl warned against vendors peddling “snake oil” solutions that promise transformative impact but lack readiness, maturity or affordability. 

He urged utilities across Africa to critically assess their needs before investing in new technologies.

Among the most accessible applications for AI, MacColl pointed to documentation management. 

“Many utilities still rely on cupboards full of paper manuals. By digitising these and connecting them to large language models, field workers can quickly retrieve technical details in plain language.”

More advanced use cases include AI-powered image and video processing.  Technicians can use mobile devices to photograph equipment, ask the system to identify faults, and access step-by-step repair guides.

However, such capabilities require extensive data integration. 

“Before an AI can give you a smart answer, you need to feed it OEM manuals, maintenance histories and other technical content. That’s why picking your battles is so important… you can’t do everything at once.”

With power utilities under pressure to improve reliability and modernise operations, MacColl’s message was clear: digitalisation must be grounded in strategy, not hype.

Cover photo:  peshkova©123rf