AI is reshaping how enterprises manage assets, make decisions, and build lasting operational intelligence.
Anthony, as AI Lead at COSOL, how has your personal journey into the AI space influenced the way you approach innovation in Enterprise Asset Management today?
AI has utterly transformed my mental ceiling of what is now possible, including previously unsolvable customer challenges. This is literally the most exciting time to innovate across Enterprise Asset Management, and the potential to assist our customers in achieving new efficiencies is only limited by imagination! COSOL is a forward-thinking organisation and an AI capable partner that utilises PRACTICE-AI to solve real world EAM challenges.
We often hear AI compared to past disruptors like the internet, mobile, and cloud. In your view, what makes this current wave of AI fundamentally different in scale and impact?
‘AI is the great enabler of our time that sits on the shoulders of every necessary disruption and revolution that came before it.’ – Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn
AI represents an exponential transformation: 15 percent of the globe, over 1.2 billion unique active users use the current top four AI language models weekly. The level of investment in data centres, energy provisioning and infrastructure to support AI is unprecedented. Today’s mass consumable AI offerings such as AI language models (and even limited Agentic AI use cases) are scratching the surface. It takes imagination and intuition to see that we have a real opportunity to not only participate but also shape the roll-out.
With AI investment projected to surpass trillions by 2030, how do you interpret this surge of capital for the future of technology and business transformation?
The market leaders are sending a very strong signal here – build, plan and prepare!
Following the money-trail, we see a projected US $19.9 trillion global GDP contribution from AI by 2030 with hyperscales such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta projected to spend north of $750 billion on datacentres over the next few years. Even if we park the investment to the side, from a total energy consumption perspective there is even more impetus for a net-zero carbon footprint. Leaders are touting an additional ~15%+ increase in energy requirements on top of the current load, which will be needed in the short to medium term to power the energy-hungry data centres being developed.
The workforce is already feeling the effects of AI. How is this disruption changing the way people create, consume, and interact with information on a daily basis?
Since AI language models have become accessible, affordable and mass-consumed since late 2022, knowledge working and information access has fundamentally changed. Staff now have instant access to content and idea generation, including summarisation and deep research across human knowledge. The new ‘good problem’ to have is, first: How to ask the ‘right’ question, and secondly: When to decide to leverage AI (for example: deciding between exercising one’s critical thinking muscle versus outsourcing the thinking to AI).
You describe intelligence as the new commodity in a token-centric world. What does this shift mean for organizations trying to remain competitive?
Companies need to start thinking differently about the workforce and their point of difference – given that within a few years, those organisations highly leveraging AI will be more agile, productive, innovative and efficient.
We are seeing a large shift of organisations investing in AI technologies and deciding whether to build or to partner to solve long standing problems in new ways. This will become more pronounced over time. I encourage organisations to imagine and think about ‘What would a day in the life of [insert role] look like if AI could accelerate the most manual, repeatable tasks, freeing up time and energy for more meaningful higher impact tasks?’
Enterprise Asset Management has traditionally been highly manual. How are semi and fully-autonomous agents transforming the creation of digital twins and master data quality?
Think of Agentic AI as Digital FTE’s – task orientated, super-smart systems with access to organisational data and resources to automate workflows and processes. This lends itself to traditionally human-intensive processes such as data profiling, data mapping, master data issue identification, remediation and hygiene. In fact, data quality is one of the first use-cases that AI is providing strong returns.
COSOL has taken an early and bold stance in applying AI to EAM. What was the driving vision behind this move, and how has it set COSOL apart as a market leader?
Practical-AI, Pragmatic-AI, Reliable-AI!
Looking back, it is evident that we had the perfect storm for becoming what we are today – a deeply customer focused Enterprise Asset Management Solutions company that is also an AI capable partner with a willingness to take risks. COSOL continues to innovate in the market and not only maintain its market-leading position but invest in ground-breaking EAM technologies such as AI.
The Walk, Jog, Run framework offers a pathway for organizations to adopt AI in EAM. How does this approach help companies at different stages of readiness extract tangible value?
The COSOL Walk, Jog, Run framework is underpinned by 12 core principles, which help organisations navigate through varying levels of AI adoption maturity. It broadly addresses people, process and technology by ensuring the foundations are in place before moving to subsequent stages (for example: a clearly articulated vision, executive sponsorship and good data are the ‘trifecta’ of moving from pilot to productionisation).
Innovation at COSOL began with an “obsession” to serve customers in new ways. How has that philosophy shaped the solutions you are delivering today?
The COSOL difference is that we take listening to customers very seriously. This is the thread behind our ‘Reliability Matters’ pillar. We believe that by working closely with our customers on a real human level, we can provide more value and more opportunity for growth.
Looking toward the next decade, how do you see AI reshaping not just EAM, but the broader relationship between technology, intelligence, and human work?
Seamless, invisible, expected, hyperconnected and everywhere! The cost of technology, sensors, storage and compute is reducing, becoming mass-accessible and driving more innovation from all industries. How humans spend their time, and what a typical day will ‘look like’ will change significantly over the coming decade. Knowledge workers and information access have already been massively impacted. The next wave is to fully realise Agentic AI, which will take longer as the AI Web is still being built! Autonomous vehicles and particularly robotics – whilst growing in leaps and bounds at the moment – will also be more prevalent.
A quote or advice from the author :“AI is the great enabler of our time that sits on the shoulders of every necessary disruption and revolution that came before it!” (attributed to Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn)
Anthony Cipolla
AI Lead at COSOL
Anthony Cipolla is a self-described career technologist on a mission to helping customers experience the impact of digital transformation and practical AI.
Following a 15-year career as an analyst, transitioned into consulting, practice management, and innovation via GTM development.
Delivered high-profile AI initiatives including USYD Survey Classification Automation, TfNSW High-Risk Intersection Pilot, APM Health Risk Factors, and most recently, Newmont Mining’s Continuous Monitoring + AI and the COSOL-Agent Pilot.
Currently focused on accelerating COSOL’s AI readiness and capabilities to enable the next wave of real-value industry specific commercial growth and disruption.
About COSOL
COSOL is built on one belief: in asset-centric industries, reliability is everything. We’re a trusted, data-led asset management partner for organisations around the world who can’t afford to fail. And known for our deep expertise, dependable delivery, and ability to keep critical assets performing at their best. The company recently celebrated 25 years in business, are Australian owned and operated, and recognised as reliable partners by their clients across the globe. Learn more about COSOL’s History
