2024 Volume 89 Issue 2 Pages 136-140
Digital technologies have changed the world significantly and will further disrupt the way we work and live. Internet of Things（IOT）, big data analytics, Artificial Intelligence（AI）and Machine Learning（ML）, robotics, advance computing and other technologies are blurring the boundary between the physical and digital world and the energy industry is very much impacted by digital technologies. With scalable cloud environments and resources that can deliver a high-performance compute to everyone, with access to all available data across the subsurface and surface, and advances in AI and ML, acceleration and automation enabled through digital technologies is now critical to improve efficiency, drive down cost, and to reduce the carbon footprint of our industry and beyond.
This paper articulates the key advancements, benefits, and the substantial gains digital technology can ,and should, bring to Geoscience as a whole, while also addressing the challenges that impede the enterprise-wide adoption of new digital technologies.
Among the key enablers are the migration to cloud environments, which heralds a new era of digital transformation characterized by performance, scalability, and integration through Software as a Service（SaaS）models. Moreover, the paper highlights the critical role of high-performance computing, scalable data access, and embedded AI and analytics to foster new and innovative solutions to solve industry challenges.
Lastly, the paper discusses the evolution of the industry, emphasizing the necessity of adaptability and evolution in leveraging digital technologies for substantial value creation. It underscores the shifting dynamics between software and IT technology, and between suppliers and consumers, towards more collaborative and partnership-oriented models with horizontal and vertical alignment within, and between, organizations. This shift is crucial for achieving the industry’s objectives to digitalize and decarbonize, calling for a collective effort to enact the necessary changes.
