Welcome to "AI or Not," the podcast where we explore the intersection of digital transformation and real-world wisdom, hosted by the accomplished Pamela Isom. With over 25 years of experience guiding leaders in corporate, public, and private sectors, Pamela, the CEO and Founder of IsAdvice & Consulting LLC, is a veteran in successfully navigating the complex realms of artificial intelligence, innovation, cyber issues, governance, data management, and ethical decision-making.

The grid is not just getting cleaner, it is getting faster, more digital, and far more complicated. As data centers ramp up, EVs plug in, and homes fill with smart devices, the distribution system is turning into the most active part of the electric power system. That means utilities cannot rely on old assumptions about one-way power flow or slow, predictable growth. We sit down with Kumar Jhala, principal energy system scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, to unpack what distribution system modeling really is and why simulation and analytics are now essential for grid modernization.

We walk through how flexible loads and grid-edge technologies are changing planning and operations, and why AI becomes so valuable once you have massive amounts of data and millions of devices behaving independently. We also get practical about infrastructure reality: new generation and transmission can take years, so operators need tools that help them manage reliability and resiliency right now, especially as large loads like data centers reshape local demand patterns.

Then we zoom into microgrids and distributed energy resources, from islanding during outages to providing grid services when connected. Finally, we tackle cybersecurity for a hyper-connected power system, including a cyber-physical approach that checks attacks against the laws of physics, plus the emerging challenge of securing AI itself. We close with a question worth sitting with: Are we working for AI, or is AI working for us?