Siemens and Microsoft really want maunfacturers to start using AI Copilots

(Image credit: Siemens)

Siemens has announced it is teaming up with Microsoft to bring generative AI-powered Copilots to the manufacturing industry to increase productivity in the face of labor and skills shortages.

The announcement was made during Siemens CEO Roland Busch’s keynote speech at CES 2024 in Las Vegas.

The announcement comes alongside Siemens incentive to develop the “industrial metaverse” - a mixed reality environment that will enhance production processes and collaboration across industries.

“Redefine reality and transform every day for everyone”

During his keynote speech Busch stated, “Technology is hidden but it’s everywhere. The technology has a name. The industrial metaverse. The industrial metaverse will redefine reality and transform every day for everyone.”

The industrial metaverse was also one of the motivations behind Siemens collaboration with Sony to launch a mixed reality headset. Just like the headset, the Microsoft enabled AI Copilot will run as part of Siemens Xcelerator digital business platform while using Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service.

“Together with Microsoft, our shared vision is to empower customers with the adoption of generative AI,” Busch continued. “This has the potential to revolutionize the way companies design, develop, manufacture, and operate. Making human-machine collaboration more widely available allows engineers to accelerate code development, increase innovation and tackle skilled labor shortages.”

It is hoped that the AI Copilot can help improve current design processes by utilizing generative AI to enhance the efficiency of the design process through instant access to virtual simulations of prototypes and design concepts.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella commented on the collaboration saying, “With this next generation of AI, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate innovation across the entire industrial sector.

“We’re building on our longstanding collaboration with Siemens and bringing together AI advances across the Microsoft Cloud with Siemens’ industrial domain expertise to empower both frontline and knowledge workers with new, AI-powered tools, starting with Siemens Industrial Copilot.”

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