AI in the Manufacturing Workplace: Can ‘Big Brother’ Keep Employees Safe?

The phrase “artificial intelligence” or “AI” often instills unease and nervousness. In manufacturing, the use of computerized knowledge or AI to convert once-manual tasks into highly automated mechanized tasks evokes equal parts excitement and concern. Reports of wrecks caused by self-driving cars and tales of robotic tools going haywire raise the question of how the manufacturing industry can balance the use of AI and its commitment to safety for employees, customers, and others.