Speaker:

Detlef Hohl

Chief Scientist Computation and Data Science 

Shell

Details:

Date : 26th January, 2025
Time: 4:00 PM -  6:00 PM
Location: TBD

Seminar Overview: 

Thanks to the availability of massive amounts of data, computing resources, and advanced algorithms, AI has entered nearly every sector. This has sparked significant investment and interest, particularly in building data centers with the necessary hardware and software to develop and operate AI models and AI-based workflows. We present energy consumption scenarios of data centers and impact on GHG emissions, considering both near-term projections (up to 2030) and long-term outlook (2035 and beyond). We address the quintessential question of whether AI will have a net positive, neutral, or negative impact on CO2 emissions by 2035. Additionally, we discuss AI's potential to automate, create efficient and disruptive workflows across various fields related to energy production, supply and consumption. In the near-term scenario, the growing demand for AI will likely strain computing resources, lead to increase in electricity consumption and therefore associated CO2 emissions. This is due to the power-hungry nature of big data centers and the requirements for training and running of large and complex AI models, as well as the penetration of AI assistant search and applications for public use. However, the long-term outlook could be more promising.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Detlef Hohl is a distinguished leader whose expertise is uniquely founded on a Master's in Chemistry (Technical University of Munich) and a PhD in Theoretical Physics (Technical University of Aachen). This rigorous academic foundation set the stage for a groundbreaking career dedicated to applying advanced computational methods to solve complex industrial challenges. Before his tenure at Shell, he served as a Senior Scientist at the German National Laboratory Forschungszentrum Jülich. Detlef joined Shell in 1997, quickly becoming a key innovator in the company's research and development arm, specializing in seismic imaging and seismic inversion R&D, which are crucial for subsurface exploration and modeling.

From 2010 to 2017, he reached a peak leadership role as General Manager for Computation and Modeling. In this capacity, he directed a critical, multi-disciplinary portfolio that drove innovation across data analytics, computational engineering, materials science, and petroleum engineering. His work during this period was pivotal in integrating high-performance computing and data science into Shell's core operational strategy, enhancing efficiency and accuracy across global assets. Dr. Hohl maintains a powerful presence in the academic community, actively cultivating the next generation of computational scientists. He holds respected positions as an Adjunct Professor at Rice University and the University of Houston, specializing in Computational and Applied Mathematics. Furthermore, as a Visiting Scholar at the prestigious Alan Turing Institute in the UK, he remains at the vanguard of research, continually influencing the fields of cutting-edge computational and applied mathematics and ensuring a continuous flow of innovative theories into real-world energy applications.