Artificial intelligence systems are inherently constrained by the boundaries of their training datasets, leading to knowledge retention gaps analogous to the tacit expertise lost when veteran Texas grid engineers retire without codifying critical operational procedures. During iterative model updates or fine-tuning, prior learned heuristics can be overwritten or attenuated — a phenomenon known in AI research as catastrophic forgetting — reminiscent of essential black-start protocols vanishing from revised operational manuals. Lacking situational awareness, AI systems are prone to context blindness, overlooking delicate equipment or interdependent network contingencies that experienced engineers navigate intuitively. Consequently, the imperfect interface between machine cognition and human expertise renders reliance on AI a high-risk endeavor, particularly for mission-critical infrastructure such as an electric power grid — underscoring that everyone involved must actively engage, adapt, and develop safeguards to ensure AI enhances rather than compromises operations. Wilton Smith
When AI Machines Run the Grid
Artificial intelligence systems are inherently constrained by the boundaries of their training datasets, leading to knowledge retention gaps analogous to the tacit expertise lost when veteran Texas grid engineers retire without codifying critical operational procedures. During iterative model updates or fine-tuning, prior learned heuristics can be overwritten or attenuated — a phenomenon known in AI research as catastrophic forgetting — reminiscent of essential black-start protocols vanishing from revised operational manuals. Lacking situational awareness, AI systems are prone to context blindness, overlooking delicate equipment or interdependent network contingencies that experienced engineers navigate intuitively. Consequently, the imperfect interface between machine cognition and human expertise renders reliance on AI a high-risk endeavor, particularly for mission-critical infrastructure such as an electric power grid — underscoring that everyone involved must actively engage, adapt, and develop safeguards to ensure AI enhances rather than compromises operations. Wilton Smith