AI in Manufacturing: Fact or Fiction?
Depending on what you read in the news, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is either the greatest thing since sliced bread or the Boogeyman, fraught with danger that will lead to the end of civilization. What is true and what isn’t? As reports about AI continue to swirl and more manufacturers embrace AI to fuel data-driven decision making, how do you know what to believe and what to do next? Learn from Mike Hermann, Van Meter’s Vice President of Industrial Sales, about whether these common AI statements are fact or fiction.
FACT OR FICTION? AI WILL REPLACE HUMANS
Answer: Fiction
Despite what you’ve seen in 80’s movies, AI is not the Terminator, and there is no Skynet trying to replace us. Instead, AI acts as a powerful assistant to help humans make the right decisions faster and easier.
Manufacturers have been collecting millions of data points with smart devices and controllers for decades, but they haven’t been able to use that data to its full potential. In fact, according to Rockwell Automation’s 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report, manufacturers with revenue less than $500 million say they’re only using 38% of their data effectively. That’s where AI can help.
AI can automatically record and organize all your data in one centralized location simplifying decision making. Why would you wait for a person to manually collect and analyze that data when AI computing power and predictive models can assess the data and optimize the next outcome in real time? Then, a human can use that information to make an informed decision for your company in a fraction of the time it used to take.
FACT OR FICTION? AI CAN BE DANGEROUS
Answer: Fact
While AI insights are valuable, trusting an AI model without human interpretation could lead you down the wrong path. Think of it like an out-of-context quote in a news article. If you only read the quote, you might come to one conclusion, but if you read the rest of the article or hear the full quote, you might think something different.
AI works the same way. It can only make predictions based on the data it has seen. If a new, outlier condition occurs and AI sees something it has never seen before, it isn’t going to know what to do next. AI isn’t watching the news to factor supply chain delays and material shortages into its predictions. That’s when a human like you can step in and make the best choice on how to proceed. Data is very black and white, but humans provide context and fill in the gray areas to make the right decision.
FACT OR FICTION? IT’S STILL TOO EARLY TO USE AI
Answer: Fiction
If you haven’t started using AI or made plans to use AI, you can feel confident that many in the manufacturing industry are using it today. In the State of Smart Manufacturing Report, 85% of manufacturers say they have already invested or plan to invest in AI this year. In fact, many products that manufacturers produce today have simplified AI models to help make decisions in how they operate. Manufacturing will continue to innovate and experiment as an industry, and it would be a mistake not to use AI’s ability to take millions of data points and summarize them into useful information. This will allow us to process data and make decisions more efficiently.
FACT OR FICTION? AI CAUSES CYBERSECURITY THREATS
Answer: Fiction
Did you know manufacturing is the most targeted industry for cyberattacks? Or that nearly a quarter of worldwide cyberattacks targeted manufacturing companies in 2023? Does using AI heighten the probability of cyberattacks? Not really. Most manufacturers are collecting the data already. Protecting how that data is used and who has access to it is what reduces the security risk. AI is just allowing you to use more data effectively, but whether you have six points of data or six million, ensuring that the right people have access to the data is essential in reducing risk.
Additionally, in most cases, AI actually improves your cybersecurity response time. Instead of someone manually inspecting data logs to look for anomalies or signs of a cyberattack, AI can constantly monitor data and alert you of patterns that look suspicious. With more timely alerts to suspicious activity, you can identify, protect, detect, respond and recover from outside threats before they affect your production.
FACT OR FICTION? IT’S SIMPLE TO START IMPLEMENTING AI
Answer: Fact
The manufacturers we work with, like Rockwell Automation, are developing products and software that make decisions based on patterns they see with their data. Think of a TV screen that can dynamically optimize the brightness based on the amount of ambient light it detects in the room. In the same way, products are evaluating the environment they are operating in and dynamically changing to improve performance. You can choose whether you take advantage of those features, but they’re included to make the products easier to implement and use. AI is not just a fad, and it is going to advance, making our lives simpler and more productive.
DISCUSS AI IN MANUFACTURING
Do you have any more AI fact or fiction questions you are curious about? Do you want to start using AI or discuss a new application for AI? Van Meter is one of Rockwell Automation’s first Information Solutions Value-Added Resellers. Contact our smart manufacturing team for help leveraging your data, protecting your assets and connecting your workforce using AI.
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