Digitalisation will help attract talent: AVEVA CEO

Remote monitoring, AI, and predictive analytics aren't replacing people; they're enabling operations to continue when people simply aren't available, Caspar Herzberg tells OGN

- SREE BHAT

Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies reduce job opportunities in the industrial and energy sectors, even as these industries are seen as vital job providers-particularly in developing economies?

OGN raised this pressing question with the CEO of AVEVA, a leading global industrial software company, during a media roundtable at the AVEVA World conference in San Francisco.

Caspar Herzberg, highlighting the importance of the question, said he doesn’t see a contradiction in adoption of technology.

“There’s a real shortage of engineers, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors,” he noted. “Far from reducing roles, digitalisation helps industrial employers attract talent by making operations more efficient, safer, and more appealing.”

Referencing a recent visit to a copper mine in Arizona, he recounted the challenges faced in staffing remote and hazardous sites. “They struggle to find enough staff. Remote monitoring, AI, and predictive analytics aren’t replacing people — they’re enabling operations to continue when people simply aren’t available.”

Herzberg echoed a powerful quote from the event's keynote speaker: “It’s not that managers will disappear. It’s that those who don’t use AI will.” Innovation isn’t an option - it’s an imperative, he said.

AVEVA World, a three-day a global conference which brought together technology leaders, customers, and partners, served as a powerful platform for demonstrating AVEVA’s impact on the future of industrial operations and sustainability. OGN was only invited publication at the conference from the region.

In an engaging and candid exchange with journalists, Herzberg shared insights into the company’s global momentum, strategic focus, and commitment to empowering industries through cutting-edge digital solutions.

A GLOBAL GROWTH TRAJECTORY