The 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) was officially opened in Shanghai. Zhang Lei, vice president of Schneider Electric and head of digital service business in China, was invited to attend the “Intelligent dual-carbon, There are signs to follow” 2023 Intelligent Trend Forum, and shared with guests how artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technology can help reduce carbon and promote high-quality development.

Zhang Lei, Vice President of Schneider Electric and Head of Digital Services Business in China, attended the 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC)

At present, the digital economy has become an important pillar of national economic growth, and how to accelerate the integration of digital and real industries with the help of key technologies and move towards green and low-carbon has become an important issue to achieve high-quality development. Zhang Lei said: “Artificial intelligence technology is the driving force to promote the leapfrog development of science and technology, industrial optimization and upgrading, and the overall jump in productivity, but in the general trend of digital integration, the key to the potential of new technologies such as AI lies in its industrialization and large-scale application.” In order to accelerate the innovative application of AI in the industry, Schneider Electric has recently set up an AI innovation laboratory in Beijing, and an AI innovation laboratory in Shanghai is also about to be established.

Peter Weckesser (right), Global Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at Schneider Electric, inaugurates the AI Innovation Lab

Continue to lay out AI innovation to dig deep into the value of data

Zhang Lei said that in addition to advanced models and algorithms, the key value of AI technology is to combine practical application scenarios to meet industrial needs, and its landing depends on deep OT operation technology. Schneider Electric is relying on its deep digital transformation experience in the field of energy management and automation to integrate IT with OT and promote AI innovation and large-scale application.

To this end, Schneider Electric is accelerating the creation of an incubator for AI innovation applications, and its AI innovation lab is committed to opening up the application innovation of “real industry + technology ecology +AI”, exploring the application of AI technology in asset and process optimization, infrastructure management, demand management and new energy management, and empowering the digitalization and sustainable development of major industries.

As one of the innovation achievements, Schneider Electric released the EcoStruxureTM AI engine at this year’s Innovation Summit, an enterprise-level one-stop, scenario-oriented and open AI model production and operation platform, integrating expertise in energy management and automation into AI models. Provide low code or even zero code AI applications for business leaders, operations managers, data analysts and other users. The engine has significantly promoted the industrialization and large-scale application of AI technology, greatly improved productivity and efficiency, and allowed more enterprises to benefit from the development of artificial intelligence technology.

EcoStruxureTM AI engine

The large-scale application of AI technology also requires the power of ecological coordination. To this end, Schneider Electric launched the “AI Dashi Cup” algorithm competition in March this year to encourage more developers to promote the application of artificial intelligence technology in physical scenarios such as buildings, infrastructure, industry and energy, and jointly explore the development potential of low-carbon and efficient. The first event focused on energy consumption prediction and energy conservation and emission reduction in the construction sector, attracting nearly 1,000 participants from universities and research institutes, enterprises and individual developers.

Schneider Electric “AI Big Shi Cup” algorithm competition

Strengthen digital strength with AI to help the efficient and sustainable development of the industry

As a practitioner and enabler of digital and green low-carbon “dual transformation”, Schneider Electric closely integrates advanced technologies such as AI with its software solutions to provide technical power for transformation. At the same time, AI technology continues to enhance its software capabilities. Schneider Electric has formed two digital twins of energy management and industrial automation around AVEVA industrial software and ETAP new electrical system digital twin platform, covering the whole life cycle of products and assets, combining AI algorithm and industry OT operation technology, so that digital technology can really land, create scene value, and help all walks of life to improve quality and efficiency, energy saving and carbon reduction.

Schneider Electric (Beijing) Medium and low voltage electric Appliance Co., LTD

For example, Schneider Electric’s supply chain in China is actively deploying AI-based solutions, including visual monitoring and predictive maintenance. Its medium and low voltage plant in Yizhuang, Beijing, applied AI solutions to achieve energy-saving retrofits and energy system optimization, reducing energy consumption by 10% in the past three years. Over the past year, AI solutions have delivered millions in direct cost savings to Schneider Electric’s supply chain in China.

Industrial digitization is accelerating, and AI has great potential. Zhang Lei, vice president of Schneider Electric and head of digital services business in China, said: “Let AI play scene value and business value requires two pillars, one is the integration of IT and OT, and the other is an open business format. The strong OT capabilities accumulated by Schneider Electric in the field of energy management and automation lay the foundation for the large-scale application of advanced technologies such as AI in various industries, and we will continue to uphold an open mind and cooperate with upstream and downstream partners and developers to jointly mine data value, strengthen scene implementation, and empower more Chinese partners and enterprises. Together, we are moving towards digital, green and low-carbon development.”