Abstract: The progresses and breakthroughs of artificial intelligence technologies are of great significance to improvement of intelligence level of smart grid. starting from connotations of smart grid, combined with characteristics and applicable scopes of all kinds of artificial intelligence technologies, the intelligence needs of smart grid are combed. Possible application scenes are designed, a SWOT analysis on some key artificial intelligence technologies is carried out and possible difficulties are estimated. It is pointed out that, many artificial intelligence technologies have important reference values in the smart grid applications, including planning, prediction, auxiliary decision-making, intelligent control, video surveillance and inspection fault diagnosis. neural networks, expert systems, data mining and other technologies all have their own advantages, disadvantages and applicable scopes. we should pay enough attention to scientific choice of all kinds of technologies, and prepare for possible challenges such as reliability, interpretability, accumulation of data samples, revision and maintenance of knowledge base, infrastructure preparation and confidentiality.