DNV, the independent expert and assurance provider, has launched a new position paper on managing artificial intelligence (AI) system risk in energy networks, setting out digital trust as a foundation for the safe, transparent and accountable use of AI across the energy transition. The paper, Managing AI system risk within energy networks through digital trust, was launched at the All Energy conference in Glasgow.
As energy systems become more digital, automated and data driven, AI and advanced analytics are increasingly shaping how networks plan, operate and invest. DNV’s paper argues that without explicit frameworks for digital trust, the growing use of AI introduces new risks – from system resilience and operational control to consumer outcomes and regulatory confidence.
The paper defines digital trust as justified confidence that digital and AI enabled systems will behave predictably, remain under control and align with public interest outcomes throughout their lifecycle. It positions digital trust as a practical enabler of innovation, allowing network operators to move AI solutions from pilots into business as usual deployment without compromising safety or accountability.
Hari Vamadevan, Senior Vice President and Regional Director for UK and Ireland, Energy Systems at DNV said “AI is becoming integral to how energy networks run but scaling it without assurance creates new and very real risks. Digital trust is what allows operators to deploy AI with confidence – knowing systems will behave as expected, remain under control and deliver outcomes that regulators and customers can rely on.”
The paper places these challenges in the context of the UK energy transition, where electrification, decentralisation and variable renewables are increasing system complexity and reliance on real time data and algorithmic decision making. Drawing on evidence from network innovation projects, it highlights how gaps in confidence around data quality, model behaviour and governance continue to slow the adoption of digital and AI solutions.
A key focus is AI assurance and the structured approach to building confidence in how AI systems perform not only in testing, but in live, safety and consumer relevant operations. The paper sets out why assurance, monitoring and governance are essential to deploying AI responsibly at scale.
These themes are illustrated through DNV’s work on the Intelligent Gas Grid programme, a UK government initiative aimed at transforming gas distribution networks to be more efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly, which demonstrates how digital trust principles can support AI enabled innovation in a safety critical network environment under regulatory scrutiny.
“Ultimately, the energy transition will have to be digital, but it will only succeed if it is trusted,” Graham Faiz, Head of Digital Energy, UK and Ireland, Energy Systems at DNV added. “Digital trust turns AI from interesting analytics-driven automation into trusted and resilient cyber-physical infrastructure that can deliver real benefits to consumers such as fewer disruptions, lower costs, faster decarbonisation, and a power system that works more predictably.”