Guyana’s economic growth and expanding energy sector present a major opportunity to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and data mining. Industry expert Aly Orady, Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Tonal, believes the country has a strategic advantage due to its abundant energy resources.
Tonal is a developer of an online platform and space-saving home gym equipment designed to offer fitness programs. The company uses data and medical science to deliver workouts that fit the lives, needs, and aspirations of the people.
Speaking at the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo in February with Chief Executive Officer, Kiana Wilburg, Orady explained how AI can transform economies and why energy-rich nations like Guyana are well-positioned for this shift.
“AI is actually a very energy-hungry technology. The amount of energy consumption by data centers, which is where AI is running and is hosted, is expected to grow 10 times over the next five years. Economies that are energy-rich have a strategic advantage globally because these data centers need to be built where the energy is,” Orady said.
Guyana is on track to become a major energy producer. Recently, ExxonMobil announced plans to expand its operations in Guyana, projecting production capacity to reach 1.7 million barrels of oil per day by 2030. This level of production opens the door for large-scale data mining and AI training operations.
President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Alistair Routledge had also announced at the Energy Conference that the country’s gas development plans extend beyond the Wales project, with plans to harness natural gas for an Alumina Plant, Data Centers, and a Fertilizer Plant.
“When we talk about building data centers, we’re looking at facilities that could consume anywhere from 50 to 100 megawatts of energy per day,” Orady explained.
Beyond energy access, Orady outlined the importance of regulatory agility. He noted that governments worldwide struggle to keep pace with AI advancements, with some industries even calling for stricter regulation. “A government that can be nimble with regard to regulation and create space for AI to exist in their society can be a big beneficiary of this change that’s coming,” he said.
Data sovereignty is another critical factor. Orady pointed out that AI processing can occur anywhere with affordable and accessible energy, but legal clarity is essential. “If my data is sent to another country, whose laws govern it? Who owns it? That’s very, very important,” he said.
Reflecting on technological evolution, Orady emphasized the need for a proactive approach. “Companies that were built from the ground up for the internet were far more successful than those that tried to adapt later. The fact that so much of what’s being built is new and can be designed for an AI-first economy is a huge opportunity,” he said.
