Technology | What to Watch: AI
GETTING YOUR HEAD AROUND AI
FUTUREPRINT’S FIRST ‘AI FOR PRINT CONFERENCE’ WILL TAKE PLACE IN APRIL IN CAMBRIDGE. DOES THAT MEAN IT’S TIME TO THINK A BIT MORE SERIOUSLY ABOUT THE PART ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS LIKELY TO PLAY IN THIS INDUSTRY?
A bot did not write this! But no doubt AI is changing the way journalists work. It will change how everyone works. So how seriously are you taking it? Given the speed of development it’s diffi cult to get your head around the technology and its seemingly endless list of possibilities. Perhaps Futureprint’s fi rst ‘AI for print conference’, running on 16 April at the Moller Institute in Cambridge, will be a good place to start to take stock. Marcus Timson, the co-founder of FuturePrint, says this will be a hype-free conference that will “unravel the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of AI in printing”, and delegates are expected from across the print spectrum - from commercial to industrial, packaging to wide-format printing. We grasp that the potential for AI in printing is wide ranging and the conference, via presentations and interactive workshops, will explore key areas. There’ll be a focus on AI-driven automation to streamline the printing process, reduce manual intervention and minimise errors. Also in the spotlight will be AI- powered image recognition and automated inspection systems for quality control. And, of course, AI-driven predictive maintenance models will be explored. Expect to hear how AI algorithms can be used to analyse historical data, job specifi cations, and current workloads to optimise print job scheduling. Also, how AI can facilitate personalised and variable data printing by analysing customer data and preferences. Other topics will include the impact of AI on cost reduction, faster turnaround times, design capability, energy effi ciency, and the holy grail of emerging market trends. Simon Edwards, commercial director at GIS, enthuses: “I wholeheartedly endorse this conference. It’s a brilliant opportunity to delve into the transformative potential of AI in the print industry.” Karl Ciz, partner director at Zaikio, is also behind the event, saying: “It offers a unique platform to explore AI’s potential in revolutionising print production, from automation to personalisation. Join us in Cambridge to chart the course for the future of printing.” That’s big talk, and given the enormous changes
AI is likely to effect, we asked a good number of manufacturers serving the wide-format digital print sector: “How are you incorporating AI into your offerings - and to what benefi t for the print company?” The massive majority remain tight lipped, despite the likes of Paolo Malatesta, executive director at fi nishing specialist Elitron, saying AI has been part of its systems for some time now. “We’ve been using AI for several years, with both our proprietary nesting and custom cutting software. Intelligent nesting of ‘pieces’ or digital dies is strategic to greatly reducing the amount of material waste. AI is
proving very useful as it increases the overall productivity per m2
of the cutting systems.
At InkTec, managing director Joey Kim, says: “The implications of AI are interesting but are still very much coming into fruition. Currently AI is probably more related to the image art working sector, where people feel they can have more autonomy to create their own artwork, instead of looking to a professional. In the meantime, from a design perspective, it will over time move towards the image professional actively adopting AI and using it more effectively, to deliver artwork to their clients. “The print industry is still labour intensive, whilst there is automation for the high-volume market, the short runs are people power dependent, as this is not part of the creative process, so this will be an interesting area to address with AI. “In our pursuit of enhancing offerings for the wide-
FOR TECHNOLOGIES LIKE PRINT, AI WILL BE FIRST USED TO IMPROVE SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AND PREDICTED MAINTENANCE
format digital print sector, we are exploring effective ways of seamlessly integrating AI technologies into printer technology. Currently, developments are centred around using AI to create unique applications, which will enable companies to produce distinctive samples and jobs to help set them apart. This has to sit alongside streamlining processes, maximising printing through image nesting and reducing media wastage with the ultimate goal of saving costs. Dirk Brouns, vice president large-format graphics at Canon production printing says AI is being used in multiple departments, citing its use in automatic voiceover creation on training videos, problem solving diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and ink development among others. “We also see our large-format graphics customers using AI as a tool to level up their designs. For example, AI offers new creative possibilities for digital wallpaper printing generating murals and patterns with neon or 3D elements that are simply stunning, bringing their designs to life on our Canon Arizona fl atbed and Colorado roll-to-roll printers.” Mike Boyle, global head of large-format go-to-market
at HP
, rounds off rather nicely. “Advances in artifi cial intelligence will have many, currently unforeseen, societal benefi ts. But for technologies like print, AI will be fi rst used to improve system diagnostics and predicted maintenance to help ensure less downtime and that devices have a longer lifespan. “Elsewhere, AI will also help businesses identify more
effi ciencies across complex global supply chains, providing more opportunities for circularity. Plus, it will provide opportunities to redesign and rebuild a digital ecosystem of tools to help businesses securely manage their end- point devices and data. We also expect AI will deliver improvements in fi le analysis and streamlining workfl ows in busy production areas, giving operators greater fl exibility and choice for outputting work.”
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