AI Boom Sparks Global Concerns Over Power Grid Resilience
CEBU CITY, Philippines — November 12, 2025 — The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics is placing unprecedented strain on global energy systems, experts warned at the Innovate Cebu Forum 2025. As breakthroughs in neural computing bring machines closer to “living intelligence,” the world faces growing pressure to modernize its fragile power infrastructure.
According to Kimberly Getgen, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of InnovationForce, AI’s evolution is transforming robotics from rigid automation into adaptive, human-like systems that can learn and respond in real time.
Robotics Shift from Automation to Human-Like Intelligence
“Robotics have historically been limited to predictable environments,” Getgen said. “That’s changing as neuron-based AI systems allow robots to adapt in ways that mirror human behavior.”
Getgen emphasized that this transformation could redefine global industries—from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and agriculture—by enabling machines that think, learn, and interact more intelligently.
Rising Energy Demands Challenge Infrastructure Stability
However, Getgen warned that the biggest short-term threat to AI progress lies not in algorithms, but in energy supply. Climate-driven wildfires, extreme weather, and aging power grids are already testing the limits of global infrastructure.
“The grid that powers our homes, businesses, and soon large-scale AI systems is already strained,” she said. “These pressures are happening now, not decades from now, and they are more urgent than any long-term trend.”
Infrastructure Analysis Highlights Global Weak Points
InnovationForce’s recent review of more than 6,000 infrastructure and energy challenges revealed critical weaknesses across both developed and emerging markets. The study identified four urgent priorities for governments and utilities:
- Improving grid resilience
- Modernizing outdated systems
- Meeting surging power demand
- Ensuring long-term energy affordability
Getgen said InnovationForce is actively working with corporations and public agencies to match innovators with real-world challenges, focusing on practical solutions rather than speculative research.
Human Ingenuity at the Center of Future Problem-Solving
“We help innovators find a North Star — problems that are real, present, and solvable,” she explained. “The next era of problem-solving will be driven by human ingenuity, guided by collaboration and actionable impact.”
Getgen added that global entrepreneurship is expected to expand sharply by 2030, with more than one billion people projected to engage in innovative or problem-solving activities.
Balancing AI Progress with Sustainability
Analysts at the event agreed that as AI and automation accelerate, the demand for sustainable power solutions will become a defining issue of the next decade. Renewable energy adoption, grid decentralization, and smart power management systems are seen as key to maintaining equilibrium.
“AI can’t thrive without reliable energy,” said Getgen. “The challenge isn’t only technological—it’s ecological and infrastructural. If we want intelligent systems, we must build intelligent grids.”
A Call for Global Cooperation and Innovation
Industry observers urged nations to coordinate cross-border energy strategies, ensuring AI development aligns with climate goals and energy equity. The Innovate Cebu Forum concluded that global cooperation between governments, utilities, and tech leaders is essential to sustaining both innovation and environmental stability.
“The future belongs to those who solve real problems,” Getgen said. “We must direct human creativity toward powering the technologies that will define our collective future.”
