National Grid
Retaining Human
Knowledge with AI
Mentorship for a future-ready energy workforce
Human expertise meets AI avatars
National Grid, a leader in the UK and US energy sector, is building a future-ready workforce. It plans to invest ÂŁ70 billion by 2031 and deliver significant growth in its UK workforce across the same period. But one challenge looms large: retaining and transferring decades of operational expertise as seasoned engineers retire.
It is estimated that the UK needs 59,000 new engineers annually and that 20% of current engineers will retire in the next five years, meaning the risk of losing critical knowledge is real. Traditional mentorship models across the country are struggling, especially with apprentices facing a seven-year path to full competency and limited access to experienced mentors.
To tackle this, National Grid’s Group Training and Learning team partnered with frog and worked closely with the Innovation Lab, part of the Chief Data Office, which drives experimentation and faster adoption of new technologies and innovative ideas across National Grid. Together, they developed Aimee Silva: a lifelike, always-on AI-powered avatar. Aimee acts as a prototype digital mentor, capturing the wisdom of retiring engineers and delivering it to the next generation.
Through deep user research and interviews with apprentices, trainers and engineers, frog and National Grid uncovered the real questions and learning moments that matter. These insights fueled a bespoke mentoring dataset, enabling Aimee to provide human-like, on-demand mentoring through natural conversation even without internet connectivity.
Substation apprentices and graduates have been able to engage with Aimee who assumes the role of a qualified Substation Engineer and SAP (Senior Authorised Person).
Installed at National Grid's Eakring Training Centre, Aimee has transformed the learning experience. The pilot results speak volumes:
- 94% of users found the experience immersive
- 98% said it supported their learning or revision
AI powered by human insight
Project highlights
Challenge
Knowledge at risk
An experienced workforce and limited mentoring resources underscored the importance of preserving and sharing decades of institutional knowledge and expertise. This created a need for scalable, accessible knowledge transfer to support apprentices, maintain performance and enable future readiness.
Solution
AI-powered guidance
A realistic AI avatar, trained on authentic stories and practical insights from existing employees, provides empathetic, context-aware mentorship. It engages through natural conversation, delivering on-demand guidance that mirrors human interaction and ensures timely, personalized learning experiences.
Outcome
Engagement that scales
94% of users found the AI mentor highly engaging and 75% committed to weekly use. This approach enables cost-effective, scalable learning while safeguarding essential expertise, ensuring continuity and accelerating professional development across the organization.
The AI avatar interacts through natural conversation.
The AI avatar interacts through natural conversation.
AI learns from people, for people.
A future-ready workforce
This initiative positions National Grid at the forefront of AI-driven workforce development.
By reimagining mentorship through generative AI, the organization is preserving critical expertise and empowering a new generation of energy professionals to learn faster, smarter and more confidently.
The pilot’s success demonstrates the feasibility of scalable, multi-modal AI mentors tailored to specific roles, laying the groundwork for future expansion across disciplines. And the impact is clear: 82% of apprentices report learning something new within 5-10 minutes and projected annual benefits are over £1.8m. The collaboration between frog and National Grid is transforming training from static instruction into dynamic, personalized learning.
The AI mentor proved engaging, accurate and scalable. 94% of users found it helpful and 75% would use it weekly.
