19OCTOBER, 2025request tickets, documenting process change and sending email responses. Processes can be executed in minutes rather than days or even weeks. AI is also helping to ensure more accurate data processing to provide a solid platform for decision-making. AI agents make fewer errors than their human counterparts, they do not tire, and they are able to calculate based on a vast range of variables across machines, materials, and production lines. That means people get time back and can spend more hours on more creative or complex tasks like improving system design or solving production bottlenecks rather than the job of spotting outliers and errors that AI is so good at. And of course, customer satisfaction is increased.Lastly, in the area of product development, generative design, prototyping, simulations and analysis of cost of materials will see better product quality, value and advantages such as unique personalization.Moving Fast with Minimal Human InterventionAI is evolving faster than perhaps any other modern technology, and in recent months, we have seen the rise of agentic AI - a particularly compelling development for manufacturing. Agentic AI expands the scope for autonomous action, allowing machines to operate with minimal human intervention. While human oversight remains crucial, these intelligent systems can now make real-time adjustments on the factory floor without waiting for manual approvals. Just as importantly, agentic AI continues to improve as it learns from the data and processes it encounters, refining its performance over time.Closely linked is the growth of multimodal AI, where technologies such as computer vision, edge computing, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) work in concert to deliver smarter, faster outcomes. This convergence means AI won't just help manufacturers make better decisions but it will also start to explain those decisions. We are entering an era where human and machine intelligence actively complement each other, learning together and enhancing each other's capabilities in the pursuit of greater efficiency and innovation.A helping hand for AI Software/System Creators & UsersIT services companies are playing a major role by being the `middle man' between AI software/system creators and users. They are sharing use cases, advising on deployment strategies and generally taking the weight off hard-pressed IT departments that see value in AI but perhaps don't know where to start deploying or how. By leaning on the experience and expertise of consultants, manufacturers can de-risk their entries into AI.Further down the line, consultants are helping to develop AI models and prompts, integrating AI
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