Artificial Intelligence and the Manufacturing Advantage
By Phillip M. Perry
From predictive maintenance and smarter planning to customer support and workforce training, manufacturers are finding practical ways to use AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen customer relationships
Artificial intelligence has moved well beyond experimentation. Manufacturers are increasingly using AI-powered tools to streamline operations, improve decision-making and uncover efficiencies across the business. While the technology continues to evolve, human oversight is still required to ensure accuracy and alignment with company values. Early adopters are already applying AI to everything from equipment maintenance and facility design to employee training and customer engagement.
“Artificial intelligence is enabling a new way of working, communicating and sharing information throughout all business operations,” said Jake Maymar, VP of Innovation at the Glimpse Group, a technology company working with generative AI (theglimpsegroup.com). “It is a new age dawning that will extend the technological advances that began a few decades ago when the computer replaced the printing press.”
The benefits of AI are not limited to large corporations. “Smaller businesses are often laser focused on selling, closing deals and working productively with customers,” said Patrick Delaney, a software engineer specializing in artificial intelligence. “AI is well suited to enhance the efficiency and potency of those very business activities.”
Balancing Opportunity and Risk
While concerns about accuracy and oversight remain important, manufacturers are increasingly focused on practical questions: How can AI improve productivity? Where can it reduce costs? How can companies protect proprietary information while leveraging new technologies? As adoption grows, the challenge is shifting from whether to use AI to determining where it can deliver measurable value without introducing unnecessary risk.
So where can an investment in AI return the most bang for the buck? Here are some areas of business operations for which chatbot programs seem especially suited:
Automated design. AI can help engineers develop concepts, layouts and design alternatives more quickly, reducing the time required for certain design and planning tasks.
Predictive maintenance. “AI can predict in advance when something will fail in a system,” said Piyush Tripathi, lead engineer at Square. “It bases its decision on an analysis of how similar equipment performed in the past. This allows the manufacturer to get a replacement part or run maintenance before a problem arises. And that can
reduce downtime.”
Failure alert systems are a key component of predictive maintenance. While these systems have traditionally relied on Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and connected equipment, AI has substantially improved their accuracy, quality and dependability by identifying patterns and warning signs that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Customer service. Chatbot programs that handle customer problems are advancing far beyond the familiar, simple-minded web helpers of the past. Rather than accessing a limited database of information and spitting out canned responses to customer questions, the new programs handle inquiries in creative ways, using natural language. Their responses can be informed by company documentation, service records, product specifications and other approved information sources.
End-user modules. Larger manufacturers can use AI to create sophisticated applications or tools that can be left with customers to help run and maintain equipment. “The ability to provide customers with a helpful user interface and proprietary software that makes their equipment easier to use,” said Phil Siegel, founder of CAPTRS, a nonprofit organization working with artificial intelligence (captrs.org). “This can make the customer relationship very tight and increase the ability to continue to market to them.”
Advertising and marketing. Artificial intelligence can develop complete marketing campaigns, starting with themes and moving on to storyboards, promotional text and even artwork and videos.
“An AI program can do the work of a creative director and even perform A/B testing,” said Maymar. “It can speed up such projects dramatically, completing in maybe an hour what unaided humans might require two weeks to accomplish.”
Performance reviews. AI Programs can provide foundational work for employee evaluations by comparing worker achievements against company metrics. They can also produce reports that reveal performance trends over the years.
Project planning. “Thanks to its sophisticated algorithms, AI can create smart schedules that analyze the various parts of a project and identify the often-hidden dependencies that must be addressed to avoid unexpected delays,” said Tripathi. “Very often it’s hard to do all of that manually, because there are so many loose connections and variables that must be kept in mind.”
Such programs can analyze worker and resource availabilities, equipment capabilities and budgetary limitations when planning timelines for peak performance. The result is often a more objective plan, noted Tripathi. “These programs can help avoid the natural bias that can arise with the tendencies to go with what worked in the past or what is familiar, as opposed to what is logical.”
Training programs. “AI programs can make the task of developing staff educational modules much easier,” said Siegel. In the past, businesses would write static manuals that required constant updating over time. Modern AI programs can create dynamic, interactive modules built upon foundational performance parameters provided by company management. “Training initiatives can be made more specific than in the past, responding to the needs of people who are having trouble with certain parts of their jobs.”
Service manuals. “Equipment is becoming so complex that it will be very hard for anyone to know everything about them,” said Siegel. “AI will be needed to help installers, users and repair people.”
Supplier and customer evaluations. Will a prospective customer be able to pay their bills? Will a vendor close up shop before delivering critical materials? “Because AI can analyze data so deeply, it can figure out that something is likely to go wrong at an organization long before a human can spot problems,” said Tripathi. “This allows the business to take the appropriate action to avoid a hit to the bottom line.”
Business plans. What is the best course of action for a business over the next three years? Into what new markets should it expand? “Artificial intelligence can lay out a potential business direction, along with an appropriate marketing plan,” said Maymar. “It will provide stimulating ideas and a clear path to follow.”
Laying Groundwork
While AI can increase company profitability by lending efficiencies to all of the above areas, the fact remains that a watchful eye is essential for ensuring that the activities of the new technology are accurate, empathic, informed by human experience and aligned with company values. “We should not think of AI as some kind of magical process, because then we would lack the understanding of its internal operations necessary to criticize its performance,” said Delaney. “We need to know that it has limitations, that it can’t give all the answers, and that there’s still value in cross-checking everything it does.”
Experts advise using a two-step process in every area of company operations. That means letting AI do the foundational work and then having a human check for errors of fact and nuance.
Some examples will make this clear. Despite their sophistication, AI-fueled customer service interactions can still seem tone-deaf. That’s why a human representative must usually step in after the AI program has completed such foundational work as performing an initial analysis and assessing metrics.
With promotional initiatives, too, experienced humans need to come in and check the work provided by artificial intelligence. “While AI programs may seem valid on their surface, very often they lack the human element that makes such initiatives work,” said Maymar. “Without the human touch, they can seem soulless.”
In the area of performance reviews, employees will benefit from one-on-one conversations that discuss why targets were achieved in some areas and not in others. “The human manager needs to provide the encouragement that an AI program cannot,” said Maymar. “Personal interaction is necessary to transform an objective review into an opportunity to grow, coach and share knowledge.”
Getting Started
While AI holds promise for any business enterprise, it can be difficult to get the ball rolling. Experts advise starting with simple projects, encouraging everyone to participate. “Figure out a way to make AI a common part of daily operations throughout your business,” advises Delaney. “Schedule learning periods so the staff becomes familiar with the system.” Delaney compares the role of ChatGPT to that of Microsoft Word 25 years ago. What was a novelty then has become a routine part of the business world.
Experimentation will be necessary, and that can lead to some failures. Businesses need to keep in mind that if a certain operation doesn’t work particularly well with AI right now, it may do so in the future. “AI programs get smart really fast,” said Joe Karasin, an AI consultant and SEO specialist. “As you continue to train the program, it continues to improve and gives you better, more targeted information.”
A major driver for the improvement of AI performance is the ability of the human operator to write effective questions. “AI learns from the corrections an individual makes to their prompts, and with repeated iterations does a better job of providing productive results,” said Karasin. “At the same time, the human operator learns how to fashion prompts that bring productive responses.”
While the AI learning curve may seem daunting, it’s wise for every business to get started, even at a basic level. “Managers need to become aware of how AI works and how it can be used as a force multiplier for business capabilities,” said Maymar. “Everyone is going to be using AI pretty soon, and you don’t want to be the one left behind. The best thing to do is to ride the wave now instead of being buried in the crest as it goes over.”
WHERE AI CAN DELIVER THE GREATEST IMPACT IN MANUFACTURING
Not every artificial intelligence application offers the same return on investment. While manufacturers continue to explore a wide range of use cases, the following areas represent some of the most promising opportunities to improve productivity, reduce costs and strengthen competitiveness.
MAXIMUM IMPACT
Predictive Maintenance: AI can analyze equipment data to identify potential failures before they occur, helping manufacturers reduce downtime, extend equipment life and improve maintenance planning.
Quality Control: Machine vision and AI-powered inspection systems can detect defects, inconsistencies and production issues faster and more consistently than traditional manual inspection methods.
Supply Chain Optimization: AI can improve demand forecasting, inventory management, purchasing decisions and supplier monitoring, helping manufacturers reduce disruptions and improve responsiveness.
Operational Efficiency: From production scheduling to administrative workflows, AI can automate repetitive tasks and identify opportunities to improve productivity throughout the organization.
Process Optimization: AI can analyze production data to identify bottlenecks, improve throughput, optimize machine settings and uncover opportunities for cost savings.
Business Intelligence and Decision Support: Manufacturers generate enormous amounts of operational data. AI can help uncover trends, identify risks and support better decision-making across sales, production and finance.
Knowledge Retention: As experienced employees retire, AI can help capture troubleshooting procedures, setup practices and institutional knowledge that might otherwise be lost.
HIGH IMPACT
Workforce Safety: AI can monitor equipment performance, identify potential hazards and support safer operating environments through predictive analysis and real-time monitoring.
Design and Product Development: AI can accelerate concept development, assist with engineering tasks and help manufacturers evaluate design alternatives more efficiently.
Training and Workforce Development: AI-powered training tools can create personalized learning experiences, improve onboarding and help employees gain proficiency more quickly.
Customer Service and Technical Support: AI assistants can help customers access documentation, troubleshoot equipment issues and receive support more quickly, improving the overall customer experience.
Waste Reduction and Sustainability: By identifying inefficiencies and optimizing production processes, AI can help reduce material waste, energy consumption and operating costs.
MODERATE IMPACT
Sales and Marketing: AI can assist with content creation, market research, lead qualification and customer communications, although the impact is typically less transformative than operational applications.
Personalization and Customization: Manufacturers serving specialized or made-to-order markets can use AI to support product customization and improve responsiveness to customer requirements.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Manufacturers looking to begin their AI journey should focus first on applications that improve uptime, quality, productivity and decision-making. These areas typically offer the fastest and most measurable return on investment.
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2026 issue of Brushware magazine.
