Although the manufacturing sector has embraced digital transformation, the industry continues to seek a competitive and resilient future to address ongoing challenges. Inflation, rising operating costs, and supply chain fragility — exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — are just a few of the obstacles the sector has faced in recent years. It’s no surprise, then, that manufacturing is ready to adopt AI.
To better understand how manufacturers can and are using AI to solve business problems, Edge Impulse and Manufacturing Dive’s studioID surveyed 150 manufacturing leaders across market segments in the U.S., U.K., and Canada that are bringing AI and ML into their manufacturing production. Edge Impulse also surveyed more than 130 of its customers about how they’re putting AI and ML to use in their operations.
The result is our industry survey report, 5 Rising Trends for AI Adoption in Manufacturing.
The combined results demonstrate that manufacturers have a desire to get — and stay — ahead of the AI curve. And many are already there. The majority of these innovators identify as early adopters of AI, displaying an openness to experimenting or even a willingness to be on the cutting edge. Even companies without a defined implementation timeline display a strong intention toward adoption.
Key Survey Findings:
- Optimizing production is manufacturers’ primary goal for AI
- Quality dominates business drivers for AI adoption
- 80% of survey respondents are looking to use AI/ML to improve the manufacturing environment and process
- Manufacturers are using real-time insights from AI to increase profitability, quality, and safety
- And more
Future Outlook — Manufacturers are Embracing the Promise of AI
The future will be shaped by both challenges and opportunities. Our survey revealed a lack of internal expertise as a barrier to AI adoption. This finding aligns with MIT Technology Review’s Taking AI to the Next Level in Manufacturing report, which cited a deficit of talent and skills as manufacturers’ toughest challenge in scaling AI use cases. The closer use cases get to production, the harder the deficit bites.
While challenges persist and new trends emerge, the future looks promising. Download the full survey report to further explore details on the top 5 trends, insights, statistics, and advice on how manufacturers can successfully launch an AI initiative.