Emily Revess is Interim Deputy Director for AI and Cyber Investment at Ofgem. In 2026, she took part in the Institute for Policy Research's Policy Fellowship Programme at the University of Bath.
What is your role and area of expertise?
"I am currently the Interim Deputy Director for AI and Cyber Investment at Ofgem, the British energy regulator, on loan from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). I lead a multidisciplinary team to ensure that AI is used ethically and effectively, while protecting energy infrastructure from emerging cyber threats. I joined the Civil Service as a policy professional in 2017 and hold an MSc from the LSE and a BA from UCL."
What are you working on at the moment?
"I’m primarily working on AI and cyber resilience, two areas which are evolving very quickly and providing new opportunities and challenges for Ofgem. We are committed to strengthening our approach to responsible AI innovation, supporting the sector as these evolving technologies are deployed and demonstrating best practice internally.
"AI can create efficiencies for energy bill payers, energy suppliers and the wider energy sector. It can help improve planning, management and real-time operation of the energy system, but it can have challenges and risks. We are continuing to reflect on our regulatory approach, including publishing good practice guidance which we encourage the sector to adopt, hosting regulatory laboratories and consulting on options to develop an AI technical sandbox where energy sector participants can safely test and trial AI solutions under regulatory oversight. You can read more about our work on the Ofgem website."
What led you to take part in the IPR?
"When I was working on electricity networks strategy in DESNZ, I was keen to broaden my network across academia and deepen my understanding of the policy area. I’ve been a Policy Fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP), University of Cambridge ever since and have also done an AI Policy Fellowship at Imperial College London. CSaP colleagues recommended I connect with IPR through its Affiliate Programme, a network of leading researchers across the UK. It’s provided me with opportunities to explore some complex policy questions like how to accelerate the transition to a smarter, more flexible and secure energy system and how to harness the opportunities of technological change whilst mitigating threats of external interference."
What was your experience like?
"I had an introductory chat with IPR colleagues a few months before my visit to ascertain my areas of interest and identify relevant research. In February, I arrived on campus and had a very enjoyable day of one-to-one meetings with academics from a range of departments including Social and Policy Sciences, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Politics Languages and International Studies and the Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change. I relished the variety of subject areas covered, ranging from energy systems and AI to space-based technologies and techno-geopolitics."
What will be your main take aways from your meetings?
"There are many learnings to reflect on; however, three high-level takeaways emerged from the range of academic research covered:
Harnessing flexibility, strengthening resilience and embedding systems-level thinking are increasingly important to the energy system as it transforms. There are areas of research and innovation in the UK regarded as best practice internationally, including Volta, a prototype Model driven Strategy for Balancing Optimisation (MSBO).
Viewing AI as a socio-technical system and strengthening our understanding of the relationship between the technology and human beings is helpful given the rapid pace of change. Consideration of fairness in AI outcomes is crucial for ensuring trust and increased confidence, something that is being played out on the global stage in some recent high-profile examples. One academic reiterated the importance of governance and the explicit acknowledgement that AI itself cannot be ethical but can be harnessed responsibly with sufficient guardrails.
The range of approaches to competitiveness, corporate responsibility and sustainable development by companies and countries continue to diverge. My conversations started with examples from mining in Sub-Saharan Africa and broadened to other sectors. This can be particularly impactful for the resilience of global supply chains in an increasingly complex geo-political context, including for sourcing and supplying critical minerals and rare earths that are needed for the energy transition and technological advancement. Several conversations touched on intensifying China–U.S. competition and the impact on other regions, for example some Southeast Asian countries adoption of 'hedging' against great powers, to maximize economic gains and mitigate security risks.
"I will certainly stay in touch with the academics, and it’s been great to already receive and share relevant reports, insights and consider opportunities for further collaboration together. I’m very grateful for the chance to engage with the IPR and look forward to continuing to do so in future."