Job enhancement, not replacement: what AI really looks like on the rig

By Jason McFarland, IADC President

Advancing the drilling industry requires us to use all the tools at our disposal. One of the most undeniable recent shifts in how we work — across virtually all sectors — has been brought about by none other than AI. This powerful resource is enabling truly amazing capabilities within our industry, and many of our members are already changing the game as far as what’s possible in drilling, thanks to AI.

It’s nearly impossible to ignore the importance and salience of the topic of AI — it’s everywhere. A recent experience highlighted for me the relevance and excitement among our members. In July, I had the privilege of traveling to the Middle East and visiting 10 of our member companies, as well as members of the IADC North Arabian Gulf Chapter and the IADC Southern Arabian Peninsula Chapter. Nothing beats sitting down face-to-face and connecting with our members on a personal level — viewing their facilities, discussing their concerns and achievements, and walking away with a true sense of how we can best serve them.

In all of these conversations, recurring themes emerged: personnel safety (of course, always a top priority for our industry), operational efficiency, the continued need for IADC training solutions, and —you guessed it — the use of AI in various applications. Our members are harnessing that power and using it in different ways. Companies are looking for ways to take advantage of this incredible new tool, embracing it as a force multiplier.

Not too long ago, conversations revolved around how AI would affect people’s jobs, with specific concerns about AI essentially replacing people. Our industry landed at the same conclusion time and time again — despite how far this new technology takes us, we will always need our people.

I can sense the truth of that previous conclusion in the ways our companies are talking about and approaching AI. Far from looking at it as a way to reduce staff, they see it as a way to create opportunities to make people more efficient. The focus isn’t on job replacement but rather on job enhancement. According to an article by global professional services network PwC, “The companies achieving the biggest productivity gains from AI are not using it only to cut costs. Instead, they use AI to amplify human performance and create new forms of value. Headcount growth at the most AI-exposed companies is outpacing that at the least exposed companies. Far from being a job killer, AI may actually be a job expander when used to unlock growth and enter new markets.”

Exploring AI in IADC chapters, committees, conferences

Aside from the amazing things our members are doing with AI within their own companies, they’re also focusing on AI within the context of IADC.

Micah Garrison, VP of Supply Chain at Patterson-UTI, has been invited to educate members via numerous IADC avenues — such as through the Southern Arabian Peninsula Chapter, the Young Professionals Committee, and in conjunction with the Advanced Rig Technology Conference — on AI literacy, fundamentals and prompt engineering. Micah explained a way of looking at AI that I really appreciated: AI can take care of the “broccoli” of your job so you can focus on the “steak,” where you’re actually adding value.

This sentiment is also reflected in a recent article by Stephen Whitfield in the July/August edition of this magazine. The article, titled “Generative and agentic AI solutions unlock new insights for drilling,” discusses how “engineers spend a significant portion of the well planning process searching for information rather than engineering.”

When data is fragmented and strewn across various locations, the engineer has to spend time and energy collecting and analyzing the necessary data. The article goes on to explain, “The practical benefits extend beyond conversational AI, according to DeepIQ. By making engineering knowledge immediately accessible, the platform shifts engineers away from manual data gathering towards engineering analysis. Activities that previously required days or weeks of searching across multiple systems can often be completed in hours.”

AI will, at the very least, play a role in advancing the way we all live and work, and the possibilities for the drilling sector feel endless. While AI is discussed in countless meetings and presentations, what does the actual landscape of AI in our industry currently look like? The IADC Advanced Rig Technology Committee is working on a whitepaper to delve into that very topic.

The proposed document is intended to inform the global drilling industry about how AI is being utilized to improve safety and operational efficiency, and reduce costs on onshore and offshore drilling rigs. This educational tool is still very much under development, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the final iteration of this project can serve our members as they navigate AI.

Though I am still a novice at incorporating AI into my own workflow, I’m inspired by how our members are leveraging this revolutionary resource. Our industry is using this tool to enhance jobs, address long-standing challenges and innovate new ways of increasing safety and efficiency.

I’m looking forward to seeing all the ways drillers and industry stakeholders continue to revolutionize our industry through the application of AI. And as a global leader in advancing the drilling industry, IADC is here to innovate and collaborate right alongside you all.