Artificial Intelligence is no longer a buzzword and now forms the backbone of several businesses to facilitate efficient and advanced means of operations. The wind energy sector is one such industry that has and continues to benefit from the use of AI in its operational and maintenance (O&M) activities. These systems assist in the maintenance of large fleets of windmills with predictive maintenance capabilities and shorter turnaround times for fault detection and diagnosis. This, however, comes with challenges concerning the accountability of decision-making by the AI systems and the ethical use of the technology itself. The adoption of this new technology thus brings a fundamental shift in the way businesses define organizational priorities and future business prospects. Not many inquiries have seemingly been made to comprehensively understand this change in the wind energy sector. Based on this, this research asks the question: What impact does the AI adoption for operational and maintenance activities (O&M) have in influencing organizational change in the wind energy sector?
To explore an answer to this question, eight interviews were conducted with experts in the wind energy sector. Two sets of semi-structured interview drafts were prepared to study the technological and organizational impacts of AI adoption. The interviewees ranged from AI experts, wind turbine technicians, project managers, and academic experts who have worked extensively with AI systems in the wind energy sector.
Here, the Technology Organization Environment (TOE) framework has been utilized to assess the influence of AI adoption on organizations, considering the technological, organizational, and environmental perspectives. With the advent of AI systems, wind energy organizations have witnessed an increasing focus on upskilling/ reskilling activities, building robust cyber security systems, and growing investments in research and development (R&D) initiatives. There is also a growing consciousness towards the impact of using these systems on the employment of the human labor force, the emissions generated with their use, and the need for adequate policy measures and public support to be able to witness holistic and sustained growth in the industry.
Findings from the expert interviews have been collated with the literature review to comprehensively address the research question, and support further endeavors into the inquiries on AI-induced organizational change in the wind energy sector.