Ovation™ Virtual Advisor is Emerson’s AI‑enabled intelligent assistant, built into the Ovation™ Automation Platform to deliver real‑time guidance, proactive troubleshooting, and knowledge‑driven decision support for power generation and water/wastewater operations. By combining decades of automation expertise with secure, local AI models grounded in first principles, Emerson helps operators act faster, reduce risk, and operate with greater confidence.
Increase Production and Deliver Low-Cost Clean Energy
Emerson’s approach to industrial AI is shaped by decades of leadership in power plant control systems and critical infrastructure automation. Rather than layering generic AI tools on top of operations, Emerson integrates intelligence directly into the control system environment where context, determinism, and cybersecurity matter most.
As part of the Ovation Automation Platform, Ovation Virtual Advisor was the industry’s first generative AI advisor integrated directly into an automation system for power generation and water operations, establishing a foundation for applying GenAI responsibly within critical infrastructure environments.
Key principles behind Emerson’s industrial AI approach include:
Embedded intelligence, not bolt‑on analytics
AI capabilities are tightly integrated with the Ovation Automation Platform for real‑time system context and operational relevance.
First‑principles‑based models
AI guidance is grounded in engineering knowledge and trusted system behavior—not opaque black‑box predictions.
Local, secure deployment
AI models run on dedicated, Emerson‑provided infrastructure, keeping operational data on‑premise and within the customer’s security boundary.
Designed for human decision‑making
AI supports - not replaces - operators, engineers, and technicians by providing explainable insights and guided workflows.
What is the Ovation Virtual Advisor?
The Ovation Virtual Advisor is an AI‑enabled intelligent assistant fully integrated within the Ovation Automation Platform that provides real‑time system guidance, contextual troubleshooting, and proactive operational insights for power generation and water/wastewater facilities.
Designed for operators, instrumentation technicians, and control engineers, Ovation Virtual Advisor helps teams interact more effectively with complex automation systems; reducing downtime, accelerating problem resolution, and preserving institutional knowledge.
Core capabilities include:
Instant answers to common and complex Ovation system questions
Proactive identification of potential system issues
Step‑by‑step guidance through troubleshooting and decision workflows
Continuous improvement through human feedback and updated operational data
How Ovation Virtual Advisor Works Inside the Ovation Automation Platform
Ovation Virtual Advisor is tightly integrated with Ovation systems, enabling it to access live operating conditions, configuration information, and system history. This allows the advisor to deliver guidance that reflects the actual state of the control system rather than generic best practices.
Industrial AI for Power Generation Operations
Power producers face increasing operational complexity, tighter regulatory requirements, and a shrinking pool of experienced personnel. The Ovation Virtual Advisor applies trusted industrial AI to the areas where it delivers the greatest operational impact.
Discover: Ovation System Knowledge
Operators and engineers can quickly access Ovation system information through a conversational interface, guided workflows, and pre‑defined query topics. This simplifies onboarding, reduces reliance on expert availability, and shortens the time required to find accurate answers.
Troubleshoot: Proactive System Health Intelligence
The Ovation Virtual Advisor continuously monitors system health indicators including controller performance, workstation resources, software status, and network conditions. When anomalies emerge, it proactively alerts users with contextual guidance to diagnose potential causes and mitigate issues before they escalate.
Detected issues, recommended actions, and operator responses are automatically documented for future reference and continuous improvement.
Adapt: Evolving AI with Plant‑Specific Knowledge
As power plants evolve, Ovation AI models can be customized with site‑specific procedures, documentation, and operational insights. Users can upload and organize new data, annotate content, and tune AI responses to ensure the advisor reflects the realities of each facility.
Applying the Same Trusted AI to Water and Wastewater Operations
Many of the challenges facing water and wastewater utilities mirror those in the power generation industry like staffing constraints, aging infrastructure, and increasing reliability expectations.
Ovation Virtual Advisor extends the same secure, embedded AI capabilities to water and wastewater facilities by:
- Supporting operators with guided troubleshooting and system discovery
- Preserving institutional knowledge across shifts and personnel changes
- Improving consistency and confidence in day‑to‑day operations
By embedding AI directly into the control system environment, Emerson enables utilities to modernize operations without compromising safety, reliability, or regulatory accountability.
Designed for Responsible and Transparent Use of Generative AI
Ovation Virtual Advisor incorporates generative AI capabilities to enhance usability and efficiency, while maintaining a clear focus on human oversight and accountability.
- AI‑generated guidance is designed to support human judgment, not replace it
- Results are grounded in trusted Ovation knowledge and real system context
- Users remain responsible for reviewing and validating AI outputs
This approach reflects Emerson’s commitment to responsible industrial AI adoption for critical infrastructure.
Integration and Deployment Overview
Ovation Virtual Advisor is delivered as part of the Ovation Automation Platform ecosystem and requires:
- Ovation software release 4.0 or later
- Emerson‑provided Ovation Virtual Advisor AI server
- Subscription‑based software licensing with maintenance and support options
Frequently Asked Questions About Ovation™ Virtual Advisor
The Ovation Virtual Advisor is an AI‑enabled intelligent assistant embedded within the Ovation Automation Platform that provides real‑time system guidance, contextual troubleshooting, and proactive operational insights for power generation and water/wastewater facilities.
Ovation Virtual Advisor is integrated directly into the control system environment rather than operating as a standalone or cloud‑based AI tool. This allows it to use trusted Ovation system data and first‑principles‑based models to deliver operationally relevant guidance for mission‑critical systems.
Yes. Ovation Virtual Advisor incorporates localized generative AI and natural‑language interaction to help users access system knowledge, perform troubleshooting, and receive guided operational support while maintaining human oversight.
Yes. Ovation Virtual Advisor is secure by design, using Emerson‑provided infrastructure and local AI models that keep sensitive operational data within the customer’s security boundary.
Yes. In addition to power generation, Ovation Virtual Advisor supports water and wastewater operations where reliability, operator confidence, and knowledge retention are critical.
Yes. Ovation Virtual Advisor is one of Emerson’s AI‑enabled applications built on the Ovation Automation Platform and is designed to support additional AI‑driven and agentic applications over time.
Localized AI ensures deterministic behavior, supports cybersecurity and data‑sovereignty requirements, and avoids dependency on public cloud services. This is critical for online, mission‑critical infrastructure environments.