From making parts with A.I. to digitally cloning cars: What factories will look like in the future
Summary: In the coming years, the manufacturing industry is set to go through a technological transformation, driven by crucial advancements in AI, cloud computing, and the metaverse. AI may enable machines to converse and operate in factories and "digital twins" could assist in replicating products within virtual environments.
However, there are concerns that AI automation could result in job losses. Some experts believe that with more sophisticated AI systems, humans can work hand in hand with machines instead of being replaced by them.
According to industry experts and technologists who spoke with CNBC, the factories of the future will rely on a combination of cutting-edge technologies, including conversational AI for equipment communication and machine part generation, digital vehicle and aeroplane models for precision adjustments and autonomous robots that react to human motion.
The future of manufacturing will be characterised by heightened connectivity and an integrated application of artificial intelligence, edge devices, sensors, robotics, cloud computing, and data platforms, as explained by Goetz Erhardt, the Europe lead for Accenture's digital engineering and manufacturing division in the interview with CNBC.
In an email statement, Erhardt explained that these technologies facilitate the implementation of fully automated "dark" factories, automated decision-making, improved equipment monitoring, and new production networks with recycling and upcycling capabilities.
Over time, factories across industries, including machinery, automobiles, and food processing, have increasingly embraced technology. Robotic arms that handle tasks such as adding and removing materials, welding and placing goods on pallets are now a typical feature in manufacturing processes.
Advanced AI
The inclusion of ever-evolving advanced artificial intelligence technologies may cause a further disruption in the industrial manufacturing process. It could lead to conversational systems like OpenAI's GPT becoming integrated into robotics, which would result in more sophisticated machines with emotional intelligence.
According to Simon Floyd, director of manufacturing and transportation industries at Google Cloud, generative AI has immense potential in the manufacturing sector for equipment optimization, interaction, and intelligence, ranging from robotic processes to machining.
Google, along with other tech giants, is looking to leverage large language models, which can produce more human-like responses due to the vast amounts of data they are trained on. Earlier this year, the company introduced its own AI chatbot Bard to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT.
In addition to consumer goods, Google's AI initiatives are also aimed at the manufacturing industry. The company has recently upgraded its cloud platform for manufacturers, allowing them to retrieve data from machines more efficiently and identify irregularities in the production process.
Digital Twins
A development that has piqued the interest of many industrialists is the concept of "digital twins" - a digital copy of a physical object that can be modified and updated simultaneously with the original.
One such company that has leveraged this technology for its physical manufacturing processes is Rolls Royce. Its engineers create accurate virtual replicas of their jet engines, which are then equipped with sensors and satellite networks to provide real-time feedback data to the digital twin.
Another example is Renault. Scientists created a digital twin for a new "software-defined" car with artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance services.
AI Catalog's chief editor
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