Industrial
more in AI over the next 12 months, with 30 per cent going as far as saying they plan to increase their AI investment “much more” in the coming year.
CIE: As digital twins, i.e., the digital representation of a physical object, person, or process, gain acceptance with organisations who want to simulate real structures and situations - and their outcomes - are there concerns about exact digital copies or, more specifically, employees becoming somehow compromised? Is digital twinning indeed the best way to, for example, test new production plants, procurement or supply chains, or even large infrastructures before they are even built? Are there any real or potential downsides in terms of accuracy, security or sustainability? AT: There is a legitimate school of thought that suggests a digital twin, i.e., a computerised version of something or someone, could very well become its human counterpart’s welcome work colleague. In some ways, this is already happening in the form of cooperative robots – known as ‘cobots’. Cobots work alongside their human counterparts to do repetitive tasks that are either too dangerous or too physically demanding for humans to perform. Over the next 12-18 months, even though the upfront costs are high and initial implementation can be complex, we expect to see increased adoption in digital twinning activity as its benefits will be fully recognised – and utilised – by relevant industrial sectors.
www.cieonline.co.uk
CIE: The IIoT is a powerful concept in the global industrial sector that for many is already delivering on its promises. However, there is still a percentage of SMEs that remain unconvinced that the investment will ultimately result in a payoff. Is this simply through a lack of understanding that needs to be overcome or are there indeed some shortcomings – or myths – about the implementation of IIoT that need to be addressed? AT: SMEs might as well embrace IIoT if they want to be part of the future of industry. IIoT is swiftly revolutionising the way businesses of all sizes must operate to remain profitable, so SMEs still watching from the sidelines should get on board.
Understanding how the complexity of a potential IIoT system can be made simple in ways that benefit a manufacturing facility or industrial processing plant is not as big a challenge as it might seem. This is because there is already a lot of expertise available from reputable technology, component and service providers who can demystify what IIoT can already do.
And that’s why companies must invest in training to ensure existing employees and new recruits have the right set of skills to do their job. It is critical for SMEs to have those recruitment conversations early and often and start making plans. AI is not displacing workers. In fact, companies can benefit from AI- powered recruitment platforms that can quickly identify qualified candidates.
CIE: Massive advances in AI are being announced almost monthly, the latest being the announcement of Google’s Generative AI ‘AI Overviews’ and Project Astra, powered by Gemini, which is designed to be able to answer complex questions in real time. Can you look into your crystal ball and give us a sense of what this and other breakthroughs in AI ultimately mean to corporations, manufacturers and developers? Will they be able to keep up? And will they need the assistance of AI to do so? AT: Ninety-nine per cent of the business leaders surveyed by Global Made Possible said the consequences of using AI incorrectly keep them up at night. However, in the list of things that causes them to lose sleep, the loss of sensitive and proprietary data surprisingly came last. What worries executives most about AI is their concern about adopting AI without the right resources and strategies in place. What the survey makes abundantly clear is that without the right people, processes and technologies, organisations can be ill- prepared to successfully adopt AI and only 2 per cent of the executives surveyed felt they currently have the right resources in place to successfully implement AI. What AI will ultimately mean to corporations, manufacturers and developers is that it is the catalyst for a new era of products and services. However, it is hard to think of any product
References 1
or service that will not benefit from the inclusion of some form of AI action or analysis somewhere in its manufacturing or operational existence.
And, by the way, AI also saves energy. A lot of it. Any way you slice it; energy efficiency equates to energy savings. It would be disingenuous to suggest there are no risks. Unless carefully implemented and monitored, AI can sometimes lack transparency, inadvertently discriminate, or compromise privacy and data security. As recently as 2023, an open letter by industry experts, research and scholars was published calling for a pause in AI development for at least six months to give industry, business, and government experts time to catch up with AI’s rapid pace of development.
And, yes, in many cases they were actually using AI modelling to help make the decisions necessary to manage AI’s growth - and they are succeeding.
AI is nothing to be frightened of. The only risk is being left behind.
Note: The G-P 2024 AI at Work survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,500 executives, VP+, at companies with 100 to 499 and 500 or more employees, and conducted in three markets: US, UK, and Australia, between 3rd April and 10th April 2024, using an email invitation and an online survey.
https://uk.farnell.com
https://gpcmsdev.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/g-p-2024-ai-at-work-report-1.pd Components in Electronics April 2025 47
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