From academia to industry, INESC TEC has been collaborating with several international communities to define a strategic R&D roadmap for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions into the electricity system of the future. Publications in leading scientific journals stand as recognition of both the research carried out and the contributions of researchers working in this field.
Three peer-reviewed papers, published in top-quartile scientific journals, address complementary dimensions of applying AI to the energy sector. All three feature Ricardo Bessa – recently nominated IEEE Fellow – as co-author.
The work A perspective on foundation models for the electric power grid, published in Joule, explores the potential of AI foundation models applied to power grids. The paper discusses how these models can support the monitoring, planning and operation of electricity systems, while also identifying critical challenges related to data quality and availability, model scalability, and the need to ensure robustness and reliability in critical infrastructures.
Another paper, published in iScience with the title Human-AI interaction in safety-critical network infrastructures, focuses on the interaction between humans and AI systems in critical infrastructures such as power grids. The study analyses how intelligent systems should be introduced into control rooms and operational processes in a human-centred way, ensuring transparency, explainability and trust. The authors argue that AI should not replace human decision-makers, but rather function as a decision-support system, complementing the knowledge and experience of operators.
The third one, Current and Future Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Power Systems: A Critical Appraisal, published in the Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy, provides a critical assessment of current and future AI applications in power systems. The study evaluates the maturity of existing technologies, identifies limitations and risks, and outlines future research directions. It reinforces the need to integrate AI with established fields like power systems engineering and operations research. In the same issue of the journal, two complementary pepers by other international research groups were also published, reinforcing and deepening this perspective.
“In practice, with these works, we are consolidating research opportunities and priority lines recognised by the international scientific community. In addition, INESC TEC has been taking an active role in several strategic international initiatives, namely participation in GridFM, an international initiative focused on the development of foundation models for power grids, and involvement in the AI.grids initiative, which aims to create the European Foundation Model for electricity networks,” explained Ricardo Bessa, who leads research in the field of Power & Energy Systems at INESC TEC.
Taken together, these contributions strengthen INESC TEC’s position as a key player in shaping the future of AI applied to energy systems, in an increasingly competitive international context, and lay the groundwork for new proposals and projects in this domain.
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