Feature

The power of artificial intelligence in manufacturing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is anything but new, having been co-founded by the so-called ‘father of AI’, John McCarthy, in 1956. Still, the last couple of years have seen the discipline gain significant public and corporate traction, spearheaded by the launch of OpenAI’s generative AI platform, ChatGPT, in November 2022.

02/07/2024 14:57:06

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Businesses in all sectors have started exploring how to incorporate AI into their processes; the manufacturing industry is no exception. As Mohammed Salifu, Group Data and Analytics Director at Domino Printing Sciences, outlines, AI offers enormous potential – but its successful adoption demands careful planning, particularly around data collection and curation.

What is artificial intelligence?
AI describes any application of computer software that allows machines to mimic human intelligence to enable problem-solving – be this with vision, speech, or interpretation of data. It’s an umbrella term that describes several methodologies, including robotics, image analysis, language processing, machine learning, and artificial neural networks.

On a basic level, artificially intelligent systems identify patterns through algorithmic data analysis. More complex systems can learn from experiences, solve problems, and make decisions without human intervention.

Today, AI applications are in use across a wide range of industries:
• Food and beverage: Campbell Soup Company uses AI to analyse consumer preference data and agile design methodology to accelerate the development of new products
• Waste and recovery: Greyparrot, a company specialising in AI-generated waste analytics, has developed computer vision systems for waste identification at materials recovery facilities
• Coding and marking: Domino incorporates aspects of AI to target values for new formulations and automate testing, in order to speed up the ink development process

AI in the manufacturing industry
There are three key areas where AI is proving valuable in the manufacturing industry...

Read the full article in DPA's July 2024 issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.