The explosive emergence of artificial intelligence is constantly creating new opportunities for business and innovation in the industry. In order to continue their grow and remain competitive, industrial companies must now start investing in new technologies. AI enables the creation of even more autonomous equipment and machines, which helps people focus on what is important in their work and leave the dangerous tasks to the machine, for example.
Industrial machinery and equipment are already very autonomous, but in the future, they will have to operate even more intelligently and autonomously to handle increasingly complex tasks and environments, says Harri Laukkanen, who leads Gofore’s Intelligent Industry business.
“In practice, the machine’s system assists the operator, making their responsibility over the overall control of the machine smaller. Humans are still needed at the helm, but we can let a machine handle tasks that are difficult or dangerous in terms of occupational safety independently. The operating environment of the machine or equipment determines its level of autonomy as well as the role and responsibility of the operator. The more responsibility a machine or equipment has over the overall control, the more software and intelligence is needed”.
According to Laukkanen, AI can be embedded in the machine itself for the purposes of detecting driving lines, obstacles and people, for example. The machine can learn these things through machine learning, which it can also do during driving.
“For example, the operating environment for forest machines is often so challenging that the machine cannot and should not be allowed to operate fully autonomously. Investing in complete autonomy would be both expensive and risky. The professional skills of forest machine operators are still very valuable when it comes to the conservation of sites that are important for biodiversity, for example”.
“On the other hand, underground mining machines are already highly autonomous due to their limited and more manageable operating environments. In the mining industry, developing autonomous machines is more beneficial, but above all, safer from a human perspective – people supervise, assist and guide”, says Laukkanen.
The professional skills of forest machine operators are still very valuable when it comes to the conservation of sites that are important for biodiversity, for example.
Now is the time to invest in AI
How to get started with using artificial intelligence? A company should have an AI strategy that defines the value and benefits it wants to attain through AI investments and how the new methods are intended to accelerate the business and benefit customers. Harri Laukkanen emphasises that the approach to change should be human-centred first and foremost.
Karoliina Partanen, Director of the AI Finland network launched by the Technology Industries in Finland, says that Finnish companies have different starting points for the utilisation of AI.
“Digital native start-ups are pioneers when it comes to artificial intelligence and data. Our large, long-established industrial companies, such as KONE, Sandvik or Wärtsilä, also have strong positions with regard to the opportunities of AI. They have always invested heavily in product development and innovation and been at the forefront of digitalising their business with good results. They have maintained the same pace and successfully seized the opportunities of AI and data”.
The possibilities for using AI in the creation of new innovations are endless.
According to Partanen, the majority of companies have not left their starting blocks yet and are still trying to determine the right strategic direction for the use of AI and data. What should they invest in and where can they get visible benefits that profit the end-user as well?
Partanen refers to studies conducted by the consultancy firm Gartner and others, which show that the next three to five years will be crucial for companies and organisations.
“It takes courage to make the final decision on the direction of your company, what kind of competitive advantage you want from AI, and what the price tag and expected return of the investment is. However, now is the time to invest in AI. That is the only way for companies to keep up with the competition”.
Partanen uses Tesla as an example of a leading company in its field, which has successfully and concretely harnessed its AI solutions for the benefit of the end user. Tesla is already developing the next self-driving taxi.
“Think about how to be the Tesla of your industry”.
She recommends industrial companies to consider three perspectives when assessing the business opportunities offered by AI.
“Understand the price tag of the different options. Don’t make the decision based on what seems the easiest, but assess which option is the most profitable and bold from a business perspective. As many companies are still taking their first steps on the AI journey, it is also worth discussing and networking with others”.
The AI network led by Partanen already includes 220 companies learning from each other.
Make the decision on the use of AI based on what is the most profitable and bold option from a business perspective.
Digitalisation of the product lifecycle brings the best benefit
Building an autonomous machine on top of so-called traditional technology may not always be the most effective solution. Harri Laukkanen recommends the industry to establish a solid technological foundation on which new solutions can be built. According to Laukkanen, being able to digitalise the entire lifecycle of the product or machine and knowing how to utilise virtual prototypes can best help companies make their machines and equipment more autonomous with AI.
“AI can also help during the product development process by making operations more efficient. The best way to develop autonomous machines is to use a virtual environment and digital prototypes or twins. In quality assurance, AI can automatically generate test cases, driving situations or various identifiable objects”.
AI can also support people in software development, as long as it is ensured that the software is in accordance with the required specifications and security standards.
The possibilities for using AI in the creation of new innovations are endless.
“When it comes to mobile work machines, the transition to complete autonomy is not seen as a necessity in all industries, at least in the next few years. The costs are still too high in relation to the benefits of autonomy. Replacing the operator or driver should not be seen as the intrinsic value, but rather as an opportunity in situations where having an autonomous machine can significantly improve safety or work efficiency”.
Karoliina Partanen sees numerous great opportunities for the use of AI in industry. In the machinery and equipment industry, AI should be harnessed to achieve an excellent customer experience. In turn, in the process industry and depending on the end product, whether it be sheet metal or car tires, it is worth investing in the efficiency, quality and optimisation of the company’s process.
Would you like to learn more about industry and AI trends and hear about the experiences of other industrial companies? Sign up for the Intelligent Industry 2024 event on 8 October. The event is free of charge for all participants.