Episode #14
AI foundations that actually work: Lessons from Southern Company
Send us Fan Mail How can energy and utility companies move from AI pilots to scalable, enterprise-wide value? In this episode of Energy Transition Talks , host Peter Warren speaks with Joyce Solomon, Data Analytics and Data Science Manager for AMI at Southern Company , and Doug Leal, Vice-President, Data Analytics and AI at CGI , about the foundations utilities need to successfully scale artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and data-driven decision-making . The conversation explores why data quality, business ownership, reusable AI deployment patterns and governance are critical to moving from individual AI use cases to enterprise adoption. The speakers share lessons from Southern Company’s experience using advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data, AI-assisted data management and Databricks Genie to make trusted data and insights more accessible across the organization. They also look ahead to multimodal AI and digital twins , and how these technologies could help utilities move toward more advanced decision support for grid operations and the energy transition. In this episode: • Data quality before AI scale: Why trusted, high-quality data is a business requirement for utility AI. • From AI pilots to enterprise adoption: How reusable deployment frameworks, automation and infrastructure can accelerate the journey from the first use case to the next. • AI governance that builds trust: How utilities can enable experimentation while increasing controls as the business impact and risk of AI decisions increase. • AMI data and utility operations: How advanced metering data can support billing, customer programs, grid analysis and operational decision-making. • Databricks Genie and conversational analytics: How employees can ask questions about governed AMI data without relying on a new report or dashboard for every request. • Multimodal AI and digital twins: What comes next as utilities combine structured data with engineering drawings, GIS information and other operational data to support more prescriptive decision-making. Featured speakers Host: Peter Warren Guest: Joyce Solomon, Southern Company Guest: Doug Leal, CGI Explore more Energy Transition Talks: https://www.cgi.com/en/energy-utilities/energy-transition-talks-podcast-series CGI Energy & Utilities: https://www.cgi.com/en/energy-utilities Follow Energy Transition Talks for conversations about AI in utilities, utility data and analytics, grid modernization, digital transformation, operational AI, energy transition and the future of energy and utility operations . Visit our Energy Transition Talks page
