IoT News caught up with Davide Aurucci, who leads AI solutions at Siemens, about how the technology is advancing the smart factory.
Step onto a modern factory floor, and the hum of machinery is now accompanied by the silent but powerful pulse of AI. The technology is moving out of the lab and into the real world, not as a replacement for people, but as a powerful partner.
Aurucci describes a world where AI acts as the central nervous system for a factory. It constantly learns from the flow of operations, subtly fine-tuning processes to make them more efficient and sustainable. But perhaps its most impressive skill is a kind of industrial clairvoyance.
Think of it as AI listening to the very heartbeat of the machinery. By analysing data from countless sensors, machine learning models can detect the faintest whispers of an impending breakdown long before any human could.
“This lets us step in and fix things before they ever break,” Aurucci explains, noting a shift from costly, reactive repairs to smart, proactive care. The result is less downtime, longer-lasting equipment, and a more reliable production line.
AI as the bedrock of the smart factory
Of course, you can’t just install an “AI app” and expect miracles. Aurucci is clear that building this future requires a solid digital foundation. Central to it all is speed. In a fast-moving factory, decisions have to be instant. That’s where edge computing comes in, processing data right there on the factory floor instead of sending it on a long trip to the cloud and back.
The heavy lifting, like training the AI’s “brain,” still happens in the cloud, which offers near-limitless power. But the real magic happens when this technology is woven into a factory’s existing systems. This is where digital twins become fundamental. Imagine having a perfect virtual replica of your entire production line. You can test new ideas, run simulations, and train the AI in this safe, digital playground before deploying it in the real world.
And wrapping around all of this is a digital fortress. Aurucci emphasises that for Siemens, cybersecurity isn’t an afterthought; it’s the first thing they build, ensuring these powerful smart factory systems are used responsibly and safely.
A partnership between human and machine
Are robots coming for our jobs? Aurucci insists the answer is a firm no. Siemens is building its AI strategy around a simple, powerful idea: AI should be a co-pilot, not the pilot. The technology is designed to be used in tandem with human intuition and experience, not render it obsolete.
In this model, the AI sifts through mountains of data and presents clear, understandable insights to a human operator. It might suggest a change to a machine’s settings or flag a potential quality issue, but the final call always rests with the person in charge.
This human-machine partnership is especially critical in high-pressure environments like managing a power grid, where human experience is the ultimate safety net. The goal is to help people to make better decisions, faster than ever before.
So, where is this AI co-pilot making the biggest difference? Aurucci points towards energy optimisation as one of the clear benefits. By intelligently managing a factory’s power consumption based on production schedules and grid demand, AI can slash energy bills and shrink a facility’s carbon footprint. It’s a clear win for both the business and the planet.
Another exciting frontier is visual inspection. Imagine an inspector with superhuman eyes that never gets tired and can spot microscopic flaws in products whizzing by on a conveyor belt. That’s what AI-powered computer vision delivers. It brings a new level of quality control, ensuring the products that reach us are safer and better made, while also cutting down on waste from defects.
Getting AI to the smart factory floor
Getting AI from an idea in a lab to a fully working system on a smart factory floor is a massive undertaking. Aurucci is candid about the challenges. It means getting different parts of a huge company, often with their own legacy systems, to speak the same digital language.
It also means keeping the AI sharp. An AI model isn’t a one-and-done solution; it needs to be constantly monitored and updated as real-world conditions change, a practice known as MLOps.
But the biggest challenge is often human. Aurucci stresses that successful AI implementation is about winning hearts and minds; it’s about building trust and showing people how these tools can make their jobs easier and more effective.
For Siemens, this journey is a team sport, requiring close collaboration between data scientists, engineers, and the experts who have spent their lives on the factory floor. It’s this combination of tech – including technologies like AI, IoT, and edge computing – and human wisdom that is forging the future of smart factories.
Davide Aurucci and the Siemens team will be sharing their insights at this year’s AI & Big Data Expo Europe in Amsterdam on 24-25 September 2025. Check out Aurucci’s presentation titled ‘Holmes GPT: the Siemens Financial Closing Copilot’ on day two of the key industry event.
Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is part of TechEx and is co-located with other leading technology events, click here for more information.
AI News is powered by TechForge Media. Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars here.
