• ABB Ability™ Augmented Operator is designed to detect anomalies, show how similar situations were handled in the past, and predict the outcome of a change before it is made
  • The software draws on a facility’s own operating history, so new operators benefit from the knowledge and decision-making of previous control room teams
  • The AI-enabled software provides real-time intelligence and decision support for safer, more efficient and more consistent operations

As part of its participation at ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi, ABB has launched ABB Ability™ Augmented Operator, an AI-enabled software suite that helps control room operators to detect anomalies earlier, see how similar situations were previously handled in their facility and test a response before making a change. The software explains its reasoning from past data but leaves decision-making with the human operators.

Augmented Operator integrates into an operator’s existing daily control system workflows, combining operational context, process knowledge and AI-enabled guidance to help them not only understand what is happening, but also make decisions faster and with more confidence. It has been developed for chemicals, oil and gas, power generation, water and other industries.

Augmented Operator uses AI that looks at multiple pieces of data at the same time to detect subtle changes in a process, searches years of plant history to show how similar situations were handled in the past, forecasts critical process variables and simulates outcomes. The software works as one integrated system, presenting findings in a single view.

“AI will play a growing part in the control rooms of industrial facilities, but it has to earn its place there. Operators need to understand and trust the tools they rely on, so how AI is introduced matters as much as what it can do,” said Gino Hernandez, Head of Global Digital Business at ABB’s Energy Industries division. “ABB has designed Augmented Operator to explain its reasoning, draw on a facility’s own experience and let operators test a change before they make it. This offering is an important step toward more autonomous operations, while keeping the humans in the loop.”

The launch comes as industries face a growing skills challenge. According to the International Energy Agency, in advanced economies there are 2.4 energy workers nearing retirement for every new entrant aged under 25[1]. At the same time, the move to centralized control rooms means smaller teams are often overseeing more of the process, while increased complexity means operators are expected to make faster decisions using larger volumes of data.

Producers are facing the challenge of increasing output, improving yields and reducing operating costs. By helping control room teams detect and respond to changes earlier, Augmented Operator can support safer, more efficient and more consistent operations. It can help facilities reduce unplanned shutdowns and off-specification production, and narrow differences in performance from one shift to the next – drawing on past operating history so newer operators can benefit from the knowledge of those who came before them.