Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come on in leaps and bounds in the past couple of years, and we’re now at a point with the technology where it feels like people across all sectors are genuinely worried their jobs will be replaced by AI.
Is this something that those in the manufacturing industry should be genuinely concerned about? Or are those in the industry simply looking at things through the wrong lens?
While employees have every right to be sceptical about AI, it’s important to note that integrating AI into existing workflows is actually in place to enhance productivity and remove the need for time-consuming manual tasks.
Mike Bradford, Director of Strategic Business Development for the DELMIA brand at Dassault Systèmes, takes a closer look at just how AI may affect manufacturers roles in the coming years, and what steps you need to take to ensure you’re keeping up with what AI has to offer.
AI and Robotics Aren’t New to Manufacturing
The first thing to consider, and something that is often overlooked, is the fact that robots and automation have long been an integral part of manufacturing operations for many businesses for a number of years now. Robots have been taking on repetitive and dangerous roles within the industry to increase productivity and accuracy, while also making operations safer for employees who work within the organisation.
While there will be some level of AI and automation taking over jobs for certain tasks, it’s important to remember that this is the case for roles across pretty much every single industry, this isn’t just isolated to manufacturing.
What Jobs Have AI Replaced in Manufacturing?
There are a number of roles that have been replaced by AI and robotics in recent years, with the following roles being reduced massively in favour of AI technology:
- Assembly line workers – AI technology has taken over repetitive tasks such as assembling parts and fastening components, which has the potential to be relatively dangerous.
- Warehousing and material handling workers – autonomous robots are now the norm in picking and sorting materials around warehouses.
- CNC machine operators – while this role does still exist in many workplaces, smart manufacturing systems are capable of operating with minimal human intervention.
- Predictive maintenance roles – AI technology is able to do this autonomously, to reduce downtime.
While these responsibilities have now been taken over by AI in many situations, it’s important to note that the vast majority of these changes have been made over the course of the last 10 years.
Along with this, new roles have been created off the back of AI technology developments within the sector, with the likes of robotics maintenance, AI system supervisors and data analysis roles all beginning to grow in popularity in recent years.
Is AI the Biggest Issue Faced by the Sector?
While AI has some employees looking over their shoulder, there are far more pressing issues facing the manufacturing industry at present, with the most urgent being an ever-declining skilled workforce, technology could well be the answer to the issues faced by an aging workforce and a lack of training time for more junior employees.
There’s been a steady decline of highly skilled workers in the industry for a number of years now. Deloitte reports that the US manufacturing industry will have over 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, and this is mainly down to an urgent need for more skilled workers in the field.
AI technology presents a huge opportunity to more junior manufacturers to automate parts of their job, so they are able to focus more on upskilling and training. More and more manufacturing firms are seeing the merits of this opportunity and enabling their workforce to utilize AI where appropriate, to free up both junior and senior members of staff from more time-intensive tasks that can be completed by a robot.
How To Position Yourself as ‘AI-Proof’ in Manufacturing
A common question that we see asked is how employees can compete against AI and secure their future within their business. While this is a valid concern, it’s important to remember that the technology should be seen as a tool you can utilize to improve your output and speed up monotonous tasks, rather than a direct threat.
If you are in a position to be able to harness the power that AI provides you with as a manufacturer, your value within a business improves drastically. If you are able to utilise AI to improve your output, speed up processes and improve outcomes for your customers, you’ll find yourself as an invaluable asset to your employer.
Rather than seeing AI as a threat to your position, if you’re able to fully utilize the tools it provides you with, it can help minimize time spent on mundane and time-consuming tasks.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the steps you should consider taking:
Focus on problem-solving and critical thinking – AI is great at handling repetitive tasks and suggesting fixes, but human interaction is required when it comes to troubleshooting and decision making.
Data Analytics – While AI can present data to manufacturers, it has a hard time in making judgements on what to do with the data it creates. Enhancing your skills in interpreting and applying data to improve processes and efficiency are two skills essential in today’s manufacturing world.
Leadership & Adaptability skills – Positioning yourself as a genuine leader within your organisation is essential. AI and automation require human oversight and strategic planning to thrive. Taking the time to improve these skills will set you on the path to success within your organisation.
The Benefits of AI in Manufacturing
It’s pretty easy to see why manufacturing firms around the world are investing in AI to assist workflows, as it brings with it a whole host of benefits from both an employee and wider business perspective.
Quality assurance – Quality assurance can be a particularly time-consuming task for humans to carry out, so there’s no surprise that manufacturing firms are turning to AI to automate this aspect of work. Not only does AI make this step considerably quicker, it also improves accuracy and greatly reduces the risk of poor quality products reaching the customer.
Predictive maintenance – AI plays an integral role in identifying when problems are likely to arise before equipment begins to break down, allowing businesses to perform maintenance before equipment completely fails and with less disruption to production. This is extremely important to reduce downtime and keeps operations running smoothly.
Cost reductions – automation of tasks means lower labour costs for manufacturers, which leads to increased pay for employees and reduced costs for customers. Along with this, predictive maintenance reduces breakdowns and downtime, which is essential in keeping costs down.
Improved energy efficiency and sustainability – AI helps to optimise energy consumption across the supply chain by spotting inefficiencies and allowing firms to act on this information. In today’s manufacturing world, sustainability is exceptionally important and AI technologies play a key role in optimising your operation’s overall efficiency.
Supply chain management – managing and optimizing the supply chain has never been easier with AI assisting manufacturers to manage inventory and predict demand. AI works best when paired with a digital twin, so you can visualise each stage of the supply chain, giving businesses a clear picture of any potential issues before they arise.
Data analysis – One of the biggest time savers for employers and employees alike is utilising AI to quickly analyse large datasets to provide humans with a comprehensive overview of data to make informed decisions.
So… Is AI Really Going to Take Your Job?
While employees can be forgiven for looking over their shoulder and worrying about AI taking their jobs, the reality is that most manufacturing workers need to be more concerned about how they align with AI technology to improve their output and save them time. By utilising AI technology to automate and speed up mundane but entirely necessary tasks, manufacturers can focus more on training and upskilling, helping to slowly close the skills gap in the sector.
The best manufacturers in the business are the ones who are adapting to what AI has to offer and utilizing this for their own and their company’s benefit, enabling them to gain competitive advantage and reduce the current skills gap in manufacturing.