The Energy Workforce & Technology Council hosted an AI Workshop for Business Leaders last week, bringing together professionals to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and its implications for business strategy, workforce planning, and technology investment.
The workshop, facilitated by Accenture and hosted at NOV, centered on five core objectives: exploring what is possible with AI through proven use cases; discussing the talent and workforce impacts; enabling more informed AI investment decisions; assessing organizational readiness and technology foundations; and defining a concrete path to get started.
Participants spent time learning about the fundamental AI landscape, from broad to advanced capabilities. The group also explored where AI investment is currently being directed, particularly within the energy planning sector.
A highlight of the workshop was a facilitated group exercise in which attendees collaborated to identify the biggest AI barriers their organizations face. Five challenge categories were on the table: Business Value & ROI, Reshaping the Workforce, Technology & Data, Trust & Governance, and Adoption & Change.
One of the most interesting insights within the discussion was around the disconnect between AI adoption and actual value creation. Facilitators challenged attendees to think beyond technology and confront the more fundamental questions of organizational design and leadership mindset. This framing positions AI not merely as a tool, but as a catalyst for rethinking how work gets done and how value is created, with human and machine capabilities working in concert. The shift to agentic AI, in particular, demands that leaders move away from static, process-driven thinking toward adaptive, goal-oriented workflows in which AI systems operate with greater autonomy alongside human teams.
“Leaders must shift their mentality from legacy processes and ways of working to agentic processes powered by a dynamic workforce”. -Accenture Facilitator
The workshop closed with the creation of a roadmap for organizations ready to begin or accelerate their AI journey.
At the end of the session, it was clear that the question for most organizations is no longer whether to invest in AI, but how to do so effectively. The messaging was that leaders who pair technology investment with deliberate organizational transformation will be best positioned to realize AI’s full potential.
Peggy Helfert, Vice President Programs & Events, writes about the Energy Workforce’s sector-specific best practices and leadership. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
