During the celebrated annual LEAP technology conference in Saudi Arabia, the national oil giant Saudi Aramco made headlines with the launch of its inaugural artificial intelligence (AI) model, aiming to revolutionize operational efficiency while reducing expenditures.
Unveiled as the Aramco Metabrain AI, this avant-garde AI model stands out in the industrial domain with its whopping 250 billion adjustable parameters and was rigorously trained on a colossal data set comprising seven trillion data points, encapsulating over nine decades of the company’s operational history.
The CEO of Saudi Aramco, Amin H Nasser, described the model’s potential to transform the approach to drilling by analyzing an array of variables, including plans, geological data, and historical costs, to ascertain optimal drilling solutions. He further highlighted the AI’s capacity to enhance the company’s downstream segment by delivering precise predictions on refined product trends, pricing, and market dynamics, enriched with geopolitical insights.
Aramco is not resting on its laurels, with ambitions to evolve the AI model to possess one trillion parameters by year’s end. The company is also undertaking a comprehensive digitization process of its facilities, including the venerable Abqaiq oil processing installation, which has been operational for over 80 years.
Nasser emphasized the transformative impact of integrating AI, data analytics, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the Abqaiq facility, where these technologies have been pivotal in optimizing operations, including the deployment of robotics for routine or hazardous tasks.
Aramco’s commitment to the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies has not gone unnoticed, with the World Economic Forum acknowledging four of its facilities as ‘Manufacturing Lighthouses.’ One such facility, the Uthmaniyah Gas Plant, is among the globe’s largest gas processing plants and has notably increased productivity and reliability through AI solutions. The adoption of drones and wearable tech for pipeline and machinery inspections has remarkably slashed inspection times by an impressive 90%.