The rise of AI is causing unease in the manufacturing industry

The rise of AI is causing considerable unease in the manufacturing sector. More than one in three operational staff (34%) see AI as a threat to their own craftsmanship, according to a survey by Fellowmind of over 400 employees in the Dutch manufacturing sector. Although staff have been working with technology for many years, the advent of AI is raising new questions about the future of their profession. Two-thirds (67%) specifically chose the manufacturing sector because of the manual work involved.

Furthermore, staff on the shop floor do not always feel that management is listening to them. Just over half (58%) feel that their wishes are not sufficiently taken into account when decisions about digitalisation are made. And it is not just craftsmanship that is on employees’ minds. Half (51%) believe that contact with colleagues will diminish as AI plays a greater role.

‘‘Craftsmanship has been changing for years due to technology,’’ says Erwin Berends, Manufacturing Industry Lead at Fellowmind, a European IT service provider and digital transformation partner specialising in solutions within the Microsoft ecosystem. ‘‘In the past, a machine operator would assess by ear or sight whether a machine was running properly. Now, sensors measure vibrations and issue alerts themselves. Moreover, AI can analyse data to identify the source of a deviation and determine what action is required. But skilled workers still assess for themselves whether that analysis is correct and what needs to be done next.’’

This story was originally published by Supply Chain Movement. Read the full story at Supply Chain Movement →