In the Spotlight -
Meet Richa Banotra
At AI4ALL we’d like to inspire others by featuring female role models that are making a difference in AI. We aim to empower women who are working in AI by highlighting their success stories. This way we hope to inspire other women and girls to get into STEM-related fields. In our series ‘In the Spotlight’ we shine a light on an expert in the field and today we’d like you to meet Richa Banotra.
Written by Berna Syuleymanoglu.
With much of the current discourse around AI centring on concerns about its environmental footprint, Richa Banotra’s work offers an important, alternative perspective. An AI Research & Development Lead as well as a PhD candidate in AI Engineering, she specializes in sustainability and digital innovation. But what really makes her work stand out is that she’s doing this within the energy industry, where the potential for positive change – on a global scale – is huge.
Combining her knowledge of the oil and gas industry with her expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), Richa currently leads research and development for the Global Engineering Artificial Intelligence Team at McDermott International, an engineering and construction solutions company in the energy sector. With AI gaining momentum in the energy industry, Richa’s work is at the forefront of this transformation.
Transforming the energy sector through AI innovation
As one of the founding members of McDermott’s AI team, Richa played a key role in growing the company’s AI initiative. What started with her being the sole developer on its first project four years ago has now grown into a greater resource, with 20 developers working on more than 10 projects. As well as actively working on deploying AI solutions to help the energy industry be more sustainable, she has led her team to develop AI-based products that digitize complex engineering and supply-chain processes. Today, she leads eightAI-based products within the company, several of which are being sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands for their innovation.
With AI becoming an essential tool for enhancing efficiency, reducing costs and supporting the transition to cleaner energy sources, Richa’s knowledge and expertise is instrumental in addressing critical industry challenges, such as minimizing environmental impact. She develops targeted AI solutions that reduce costs and time in multi-billion dollar projects, and in the process gives her company a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving industry. Through her work, she remains committed to helping the energy sector unlock the potential of AI, not only as a tool for efficiency, but as a catalyst towards a greener future.
“My goal is to help the traditionally conservative energy industry realize the potential of AI.”
“We are living in an ever-changing world,” explains Richa, “but I believe AI has the potential to deal with a lot of the challenges we are facing as a society, from climate change to inequality.”
Bridging industry and academia with AI
In addition to her role as an AI Research & Development Lead, Richa and her team also act as consultants, identifying AI solutions for client projects in remote locations, enabling autonomous operations to improve safety and efficiency. And her impact extends beyond her company too. As part of her mission to bridge the gap between academic AI research and real world industry challenges, she is also pursuing a PhD in AI Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology. Richa actively works with academic institutions to share her knowledge and experience from the sector. Along with her team, she collaborates with multiple universities across the Netherlands and Europe.
Collaborating with industry and academia, she intensifies her efforts to drive digital transformation towards industry 4.0. At the same time, she helps academia by sharing the challenges and solutions involved in managing large-scale real-world data. To further strengthen this connection, Richa has contributed to three research papers and authored two herself, ensuring real-world industry experience informs academic research.
Inspiring the next generation of Women in AI
Richa is a true representation of what it means to stay ahead of the curve. When she began her Master’s degree in AI studies a few years ago, she says few believed the technology had a place in oil and gas. Today, governments and companies are investing heavily in AI for energy transformation and climate action. “And there’s no doubt that it will be a big part of our work processes in the near future,” she says.
Richa remains hopeful for AI to unlock change in our lives for the better, and her advice for aspiring AI professionals is just as positive. First and foremost, she believes in being a constant learner as the field is evolving rapidly. She also advises others to develop a creative, problem-solving mindset to imagine how AI can improve existing processes, and to strengthen communication skills to bridge the gap between AI’s potential and the scepticism that often surrounds it.
Finally, she encourages those in the early stages of their career to read research papers, particularly literature reviews, both to stay informed and identify meaningful opportunities to innovate. “The world needs people with knowledge about their respective domain as well as AI to unleash the actual potential of the technology”, she says. And as Richa’s experience shows, it’s never too soon to start.
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