What Is AI‑Assisted Operation in Power Plants?

Executive Summary

Power generation systems are becoming more complex due to renewable integration, distributed energy resources, and increasing operational data. AI‑assisted operation refers to the use of artificial intelligence within control environments to support operators with faster decision‑making, improved troubleshooting, and easier access to system knowledge without replacing deterministic control.

What Is AI‑Assisted Operation?

AI‑assisted operation is the use of artificial intelligence within industrial control environments to support human operators in monitoring, diagnosing, and managing complex systems.

Unlike traditional automation, which executes predefined control logic, AI‑assisted systems:

• Analyze large volumes of operational data in real time
• Provide contextual insights and recommendations
• Enable natural interaction with system knowledge
• Help operators make faster, more informed decisions

Importantly, AI in this context does not control the process directly. Instead, it acts as a decision‑support layer, augmenting operator expertise while preserving the deterministic control foundation of the system.

Why Power System Operations Are Becoming More Complex

Modern power systems are no longer defined by stable, centralized generation. Instead, operators must manage:

• Intermittent renewable energy sources (solar, wind)
• Distributed energy resources (DERs)
• Rapidly changing load demand
• Increasing volumes of operational and performance data

This shift creates new challenges:

• More variability and uncertainty
• More information to interpret in less time
• Greater reliance on institutional knowledge and system context

As a result, operators are expected to respond quickly to issues while navigating an increasingly dynamic environment. This places greater demands on both human decision‑making and control system usability.

How AI Supports Operators in Control Systems

AI enhances operational performance by focusing on three key areas:

1. Access to System Knowledge

Control systems contain vast amounts of information, including:

• Engineering documentation
• Historical data
• Configuration details
• Maintenance records

AI systems can retrieve and present relevant operational information, engineering knowledge, and historical context made available through the Ovation ecosystem and connected data services to:

• Quickly find relevant data
• Understand system context
• Reduce time spent searching across multiple sources

2. Anomaly Detection and System Insight

AI models can continuously analyze system behavior and identify:

• Performance deviations
• Equipment abnormalities
• Emerging fault conditions

Rather than relying solely on threshold-based alarms, AI provides:

• Contextualized alerts
• Pattern recognition across datasets
• Earlier identification of potential issues

3. Contextual Guidance and Recommendations

AI‑assisted systems can guide operators through complex scenarios by:

• Suggesting likely root causes
• Recommending corrective actions
• Providing step‑by‑step troubleshooting support

This reduces cognitive burden and helps ensure consistent responses, which is especially important in high‑pressure situations.

What Is a Virtual Advisor in Industrial Control Systems?

In power generation and process industries, virtual advisors are deployed alongside distributed control systems (DCS) and automation platforms, providing AI-powered operational assistance.

A virtual advisor is an AI-powered digital assistant that works alongside industrial control systems to provide contextual operational guidance and insight.

Solutions such as Emerson’s Ovation Virtual Advisor applies this concept by providing AI- driven insights, diagnostics, and guidance that support operator workflows and decision making.

Key characteristics include:

• Context‑aware 
  Operates using plant‑specific data, system configuration, and operational history

• Interactive 
  Allows users to ask questions using natural language and retrieve relevant answers

• Continuously improving 
  Leverages plant-specific data, operational context, and user interactions to deliver increasingly relevant responses and guidance

• Integrated into operational workflows
  Accessible as part of existing operational workflows, enabling users to access information, diagnostics, and guidance without leaving their primary work environment.

A virtual advisor acts as a bridge between raw system data and actionable insight, helping operators translate information into decisions more efficiently and setting the foundation for more advanced, workflow-driven AI capabilities.

Building on these capabilities, Emerson is expanding AI-assisted operations within the Ovation Automation Platform through Ovation AI Agents- task oriented digital assistants designed to support specific operational workflows. These agents apply real-time data, analytics, and embedded process knowledge to monitor conditions, diagnose issues, and guide operator actions across areas such as startup and shutdown sequences, alarm management, control loop performance, anomaly detection, and maintenance planning. 

This evolution reflects a more agentic approach, where AI not only provides insights but also supports structured, context-aware actions by helping organizations improve consistency, reduce operator burden, and scale operational expertise while maintaining full human oversight.

AI does not replace automation. Instead, it enhances it by providing additional context and intelligence around system behavior.

Where AI Fits in Control System Architecture 

AI in industrial control systems is typically deployed as a layer alongside the core control system, not within the control loop itself. 

Key architectural principles: 

• Deterministic Control Remains Intact
  Core control logic continues to operate predictably and reliably 
  
  
• AI Operates in a Supporting Layer
  Processes data, generates insights, and interacts with operators within modern distributed control systems and platforms such as Emerson’s Ovation™ Automation Platform 
  
  
• Local Deployment for Security and Performance
  AI solutions are often deployed on‑premises or within secure environments to: 
  
     * Protect sensitive operational data
     * Ensure low latency
     * Meet cybersecurity requirements 
  
  
• Integrated User Experience
  AI capabilities are accessible through Ovation AI applications and experiences that complement existing control-system workflows while minimizing disruption to operators.

Real‑World Example: AI‑Enabled Operator Assistance

AI‑assisted operation is already being implemented in modern control systems to improve operator effectiveness.

For example, integrated AI solutions can:

• Provide instant access to plant documentation and system knowledge
• Detect anomalies across controllers and workstations
• Suggest actions based on historical performance and best practices
• Help operators troubleshoot issues faster and with greater confidence

These capabilities enable operators to manage increasing system complexity while maintaining safe, reliable performance.

Why AI‑Assisted Operation Matters Now

The transition to more dynamic and decentralized energy systems is accelerating. As complexity increases, the ability to quickly interpret data and make informed decisions becomes critical.

AI‑assisted operation helps organizations:

• Improve operational efficiency
• Reduce troubleshooting time
• Support less experienced operators with expert-level insights
• Maintain reliability in more complex environments

Rather than replacing human expertise, AI ensures that expertise is accessible, scalable, and actionable in real time.

Learn More about Ovation AI Capabilities and Applications

• Explore how Emerson’s Ovation AI-Enabled Applications improve performance and decision-making across power generation and water/wastewater operations. 

• Discover how Emerson’s Ovation Virtual Advisor brings trusted industrial AI into operator workflows and helps operators access system knowledge, diagnose issues, and act with confidence in real time.

• Learn how Emerson’s  Ovation AI Agents extend AI-assisted operations by guiding specific workflows such as alarm management, startup sequences, and predictive maintenance.