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AI is changing the grid. Could it help more than it harms?

Casey Crownhart

created: Sept. 9, 2025, 9 a.m. | updated: Sept. 12, 2025, 12:20 p.m.

“So that’s the gap that AI can help close. In theory, AI could be used to operate the grid entirely without human intervention. One reason for the lengthy wait is that new power plants have to demonstrate how they might affect the rest of the grid before they can connect. AI could help speed this process, producing these reports more quickly. AI won’t be a cure-all for grid planning; there are other steps to clearing the interconnection queue, including securing the necessary permits.

3 months ago: MIT Technology Review