Align technology with business value

Leaders with a strong technology vision are not distracted by a tool’s novelty; rather, they focus on how innovation can create business value and build systems to support that shift. This orientation opens the door to rethinking traditional approaches to operations, such as drilling and production, through faster data processing and real-time automation.

CEOs can focus on high-impact initiatives and involve domain experts early to ensure solutions deliver. In midstream operations, improving predictive maintenance on pipelines can reduce equipment downtime, potentially boosting throughput and utilization, as companies digitize infrastructure.

Build a team with technical and human-leadership capabilities

The oil and gas industry faces a dearth of professionals with AI knowledge. CEOs can respond by investing in AI upskilling programs and hiring people from adjacent sectors where AI efforts are more advanced, or even directly from technology companies servicing the industry.

But technical skills alone are not enough to facilitate a successful AI transformation. Indeed, as the business landscape becomes more complex, successful CEOs and other senior leaders are defined by their beneath-the-surface capabilities like critical thinking, emotional intelligence and ethical judgment, which can’t be automated. Industry expertise and institutional knowledge will remain essential. CEOs can work with their management teams to shape talent strategies that blend technical expertise with human competencies.

Incorporate AI into the leadership structure

We’re already observing the evolution of AI-focused executive roles in response to AI adoption. Some companies are appointing a chief AI officer (CAIO) to lead enterprise AI efforts. Others are redefining the role of chief information officer (CIO) from an operational manager to a strategic visionary who makes recommendations on how AI and digital can work together to create a competitive advantage. In other cases, the mandate of the chief digital officer may change to incorporate more AI responsibilities. And chief data officers — the guardians of data — can facilitate efficient data management to support the learning and improvement of GenAI in an industry rich with underutilized information.

There is no one-size-fits-all model. What matters is aligning AI-related technologies with business strategy and investing in workforce capabilities to fully scale the potential value.

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The future of oil and gas depends not just on what AI can do, but how leaders choose to lead with it. As technology continues to rapidly evolve, it raises the question of whether today’s technology leader may be tomorrow’s oil and gas CEO.