INTRODUCTION
Harnessing the power of generative AI in manufacturing
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming modern businesses, as virtually all industries are discovering ways to leverage it. New research from Capgemini shows that 55 percent of manufacturers are currently exploring the potential of generative AI and another 45 percent are working on pilots.¹
Generative AI represents a leap forward in AI technology, and adopting it can give manufacturers a competitive advantage. An IDC study showed that 83 percent of IT leaders believe that leveraging their business data to fine-tune generative AI models will give them a significant competitive advantage; however, only 30 percent of organizations are presently building out the modern industrial data architecture needed.2 By bringing generative AI to the cloud where customers’ data already resides, Crescent Technology enables manufacturers to unlock their transformative potential.
From the office floor to the factory floor, generative AI has the potential to deliver transformative results for manufacturers.
With generative AI, manufacturers can:
Improve shop floor productivity
Leverage machine documentation, maintenance records, and OT data for faster problem diagnosis and issue resolution.
Reduce worker onboarding and training time
Capture experienced worker knowledge on complex machinery operations and create training content to onboard new workers.
Improve product engineering
Manufacturers can use generative AI to create, test, and refine product designs, implement personalization, develop prototypes, and accelerate proofs of concept to shorten their time to market.
Examining the challenges of adopting generative AI
There are a few perceived challenges around adopting generative AI, including:
- Moving from pilot to production
- Choosing the best high-performing foundation model (FM)
- Enhancing base FMs with proprietary data to build differentiated applications
- Protecting data and controlling how it is shared
- Training personnel on this new technology
Read on to explore manufacturing use cases that illustrate how Crescent Technology can help your organization quickly realize the benefits of adopting generative AI technology to keep pace with or surpass the competition.
Terms to know
Artificial intelligence (AI):The field of computer science dedicated to solving cognitive problems commonly associated with human intelligence, such as learning, creation, and image recognition.
Machine learning (ML):The science of developing algorithms and statistical models that computer systems use to perform tasks based on patterns and inference rather than explicit instructions. ML is a subset of AI and the foundation of generative AI.
Large language model (LLM):An ML model that is trained on trillions of words so it can recognize, translate, predict, and generate text, images, music, and other content. Some LLM examples are BERT, GPT, PaLM, BLOOM, LLaMA, and Chinchilla.
Generative AI:A type of AI that can create new content and ideas, including conversations, stories, images, videos, and music. It is powered by large models that are pretrained on vast amounts of data, commonly referred to as FMs.
Foundation model (FM):An ML model that is pretrained on large amounts of data—and may contain billions of variables that enable it to learn complex concepts—to power generative AI applications.
THE GENERATIVE AI JOURNEY
How to start your generative AI journey
Successfully adopting and unlocking the benefits of generative AI requires the right strategy. The following steps can help your organization get off to a good start:
Define your objectives
Do you need to speed apprentice onboarding, improve machine availability, or enhance product quality? Set a clear goal from the start to keep your efforts focused and track progress along the way.
Identify specific real-world use cases
Identify and use manufacturing best practices to decide the best place for generative AI within your organization before implementing the technology.
Select FMs that best fit your application
Should you build with existing models, customize from the ground up, or something in between? Keep your choices open, as different FMs have their own benefits.
Crescent Technology democratizes generative AI so that manufacturing organizations of any size can reinvent their products, processes, and experiences.
Collaborate with experts
Working with an expert like Crescent Technology or Crescent Technology Generative AI Competency Partners can keep you focused on goals instead of managing technology. Crescent Technology continues to build on a 20-year track record of AI investment and innovation, employing thousands of ML engineers who help develop and implement generative AI strategies, including infrastructure considerations and ethical implications.