Master Blog

Fifteen years building SEW.ai have taught me one thing. Progress here does not start with technology only, but it requires people, with purpose, and with the everyday realities of utilities and communities. That understanding shaped SEW.AI from day one, and it shaped everything we shared all past and this year at Global WE3 Summit.

When we began this journey, the goal was never to build software. The platform came later. The real intent was to solve real problems in energy and water by putting people at the center. Because this industry is not just another vertical. It is the backbone of human life. It deserves solutions built for its complexity, its responsibility, and its mission to serve billions with reliability and dignity.

At WE3 this year, that belief was echoed across every conversation. Leaders spoke about transformation not as an abstract future, but as a responsibility unfolding right now. Customer experience, workforce mobility, grid intelligence, water stewardship. Every challenge comes back to one thing: the need for technology that understands the sector from the inside.

That has always been the DNA of SEW.AI. Purpose built. Human centered. Designed to help utilities move from siloed operations to connected intelligence so they can serve their communities better.

As we look ahead, the message is clear. The future of this industry will not be defined by generic tools. It will be shaped by people who believe in its purpose, and by innovations built specifically for the essential services the world depends on.

That is the work we will continue to lead.

What is WE3 and Why It Matters

WE3 is a global movement accelerating transformation across energy and water - a community of change-makers committed to Engage, Educate, and Empower the industry forward.

Six years ago, WE3 began as a gathering in Palo Alto. Today, it has grown into a global celebration of our clients, partners, and the tireless work happening across this industry. We've expanded to different parts of the world with our WE3 North America East Coast and WE3 Europe to now even WE3 Canada, WE3 Australia and WE3 Asia, launched because the industry told us they wanted more opportunities to connect, collaborate, and co-innovate.

WE3 inspires a shift from "I" to "We," recognizing that meaningful industry transformation and digital progress are shared responsibilities. Through immersive conversations and insights, WE3 brings together forward thinkers to address the practical challenges shaping energy, water, and climate.

This is why WE3 exists: because the world's most vital resources deserve the world’s most collaborative solutions. Without water and energy, nothing functions.

A Moment of Global Priority

Energy and utility providers run the most essential systems in the world. The leaders and workforce of this industry keep our homes safe, communities thriving, and economies moving. Every modern convenience – heating, EVs, internet -run on the backbone of water and power.

And now, with the rapid acceleration of AI, the industry’s role has expanded even further. More AI means more data centers. More data centers mean more load, more reliability requirements, and more demand on the grid.

Every industry’s digital future now depends on the strength, resilience, and innovation of the energy and utility sector. The world is looking to this industry to power the next era of intelligence.

This importance is now recognized at the highest levels. Recent federal directives and global policy shifts highlight the urgency of strengthening energy systems, expanding capacity, and enhancing preparedness. This is a global moment of responsibility and leadership.

But the path forward must be centered around people. Energy decisions cannot happen in isolation - because people are the ones using power, navigating rate structures, and shaping how infrastructure evolves. And here lies a critical consideration: 34% of people in North America qualify as low-income. If their bills rise 20-40% due to increasing AI compute demand, affordability becomes a concern.

This isn’t just a business issue; it’s a societal commitment. A commitment to equitable access, sustainable modernization, and ensuring that the benefits of AI-driven progress are shared by all.

The Challenge with AI Adoption

When I was at Stanford recently, someone asked me: "What's the biggest challenge in AI adoption?"

My answer was simple: Don't fake it. Take it seriously.

Energy and utility providers are not like other industries. You cannot experiment when you are responsible for critical infrastructure. You wouldn't fly in a plane where someone says, "Don't worry, I built it 10x cheaper, and you can maintain it yourself." Because at 50,000 feet, when the wings come off, it's too late.

Yet many organizations are being encouraged to stitch together multiple technologies and call it “AI.” Utilities invest significantly, and they deserve solutions built with depth, context, and responsibility.

Energy and utility providers cannot experiment lightly. This industry deserves partners who respect the people, the systems, and the stakes involved. This is why thoughtful, purpose-driven AI matters, designed with expertise and reliability from day one.

Why Generic AI Fails: The 95% Problem

Here’s a reality many leaders acknowledge: 95% of AI projects don’t deliver on their original promise.

Many of these projects struggle because they are built with a surface-level, consultative mindset rather than a deep understanding of the industry problem. In most of the generic AI implementations, solutions are stitched together from multiple systems and labelled as “integration”. It may work in the short term, but it isn’t sustainable innovation - it’s temporary improvisation

You don't go to a nurse for neurosurgery - you go to a neurosurgeon. The same applies to AI in this industry.

SEW.AI is not a generic AI company. We are the neurosurgeons and cardiologists for this industry.

This industry revolves around three pillars: availability, affordability, and awareness. When we build vertical AI agents that perform real work and supervise workflows, we combine deep expertise in technology, data, and business - all grounded in real industry experience.

The Vertical AI Difference: Real Work, Real Results

When we launched vertical AI agents through our CX platform for a major North American utility serving 4.2 million customers, the outcome was remarkable: multi- millions saved in just 14-18 months, with 94%+ call containment.

These agents don't just answer questions - they perform real work. They identify payment arrangements, detect low-income eligibility, manage outage updates, and simplify billing inquiries - all autonomously. 99% of interactions were resolved without human escalation.

That isn’t luck. That is design.

And here's what matters most: 94-96% of all our use cases came directly from our customers. The utilities guide and shape our innovation. They are the real catalysts behind what we build.

Because the way we design our platforms is simple: we co-innovate. Side-by-side with our customers and partners, solving real problems in real environments. Every feature, every workflow, every AI agent is built with their insight, pressure-testing, and partnership. It’s not a lab experiment. It’s a shared journey - one where co-innovation, not our assumptions, drive the evolution of our platform.

Building for 50 Years, not 5 Quarters

We didn't start with AI. We started from data → analytics → BI → AI.

In 2013-14, when cloud adoption in utilities was still emerging, we introduced the first cloud platform for Customer Experience and Workforce Experience. We took the hard path because we knew the industry needed it.

A utility CEO once asked me, "Are you planning to sell your company someday?"

My response was honest: "No. We're here for the next 50 years."

We are not building for short-term cycles. We are building for generational impact. Our vision extends to 2050, because the industry deserves partners who stay committed through evolutions in technology, policy, and expectations.

In 2014, we launched the first native mobile experience platform in the energy and water - because 87% of the world relies on native apps. We built what customers needed long before it was standard.

People + AI: Empowerment, Not Replacement

AI is not here to replace people. It is here to empower them.

This same fear existed in the 1990s when personal computers became mainstream. People thought computers would replace humans. Instead, they created more jobs and new forms of productivity and intelligence.

Humans build AI. Humans refine AI. Humans ensure accountability.

The million dollars savings we delivered did not come from machines alone - it came from empowering people with intelligent systems. This is the real meaning of People + AI in action.

The Affordability Imperative

As global investments accelerate across modernization and grid upgrades, the opportunity is massive - but so is the responsibility.

Just like the early days of e-commerce, where thousands of ideas emerged but only a few solved real problems, utilities will move ahead with partners who deliver meaningful value.

The same principle applies here. Utilities must ensure that every dollar delivers measurable outcomes. Affordability is a priority. We must optimize the assets we have today, bring real intelligence to the systems that power our world, and prepare for tomorrow’s innovations.

Trust: Built Over Decades

It takes a century to build credibility - and one second to lose it.

That's why our platform integrations are built for absolute reliability - secure, resilient, and proven. Today, utilities across the globe trust SEW.AI because they know with us, they have a partner deeply committed to their success - co-innovating with the industry, for the industry.

Our customers and partners make us better every single day. Their feedback shapes our innovation, our platforms, and our AI. We aim to reach 4 billion people by 2030 and serve 100+ countries - not because of revenue targets, but because we are here to serve.

The Path Forward

As I shared at WE3, one principle guides everything we do: Approach it with honesty. Commit to it fully.

Choosing a digital transformation partner is not a decision measured in quarters – it is commitment measured in decades

The scale of the opportunity before us is unprecedented. AI, data, and digital transformation are reshaping utilities at a global level. The choices we make today will define how billions of people access energy and water for decades to come. This is the moment to harness technology, insight, and human expertise to create meaningful, lasting change.

Energy and water power everything-from homes to cities, from businesses to communities. The people who lead this industry deserve AI that mirrors their dedication, precision, and purpose every single day.

The question is not whether AI will transform utilities. It will.

The question is who will build it right.

At SEW.AI, we are committed to building it right - together with the industry, for the industry, and for the billions of people who depend on it.