Industry 5.0, AI and India: Schneider Electric’s Barbara Frei on making factories smarter | Mint

Synthetic Intelligence (AI) is now anticipated to drive the subsequent industrial revolution. Factories have already got enough automation, however AI-driven manufacturing can quickly result in vital modifications and has taken centre stage within the Industry 5.0 period. In contrast to Industry 4.0, which targeted on automation, connectivity, and data-driven decision-making, Industry 5.0 integrates human intelligence with superior applied sciences comparable to AI, robotics, and open automation—fostering extra agile, adaptive, and sustainable industrial ecosystems.

Barbara Frei, EVP – Industrial Automation at Schneider Electrical, in a freewheeling dialog with Debashis Sarkar, shares essential insights on the subsequent industrial revolution. Excerpts.

Q: AI is more and more being built-in into industrial automation. How do you see its function evolving?

A: AI has been integral to industrial options for a few years. About 17 years in the past, we launched merchandise with embedded AI, together with machine studying and superior course of management. At this time, AI has developed to embody real-time edge computing and generative AI.

Generative AI, particularly, holds vital potential in engineering. Sooner or later, engineers might not have to manually design methods on giant screens. As an alternative, they could merely enter utility necessities, and AI will generate optimised automation options. This shift may redefine how industrial automation is approached, making it extra environment friendly and modern.

Furthermore, the widespread adoption of AI and Machine Studying (ML) for predictive upkeep and clever decision-making is remodeling industries. AI-driven machine imaginative and prescient is addressing the scarcity of almost 8 million employees in high quality inspection roles. Past high quality management, AI reduces engineering time and improves operational effectivity, pushed by the necessity to improve productiveness and compensate for labour shortages.

Q: Industries worldwide are quickly adopting AI and automation. Do you assume this shift is being pushed by necessity or exterior pressures?

A: The adoption of AI and automation is primarily pushed by necessity, as companies search to boost productiveness, tackle labour shortages, and stay aggressive in an evolving industrial panorama. Whereas exterior components comparable to regulatory insurance policies and sustainability objectives play a task, the core driver stays the necessity for higher effectivity, agility, and resilience.

One of the crucial vital AI purposes at the moment is visible inspection, bettering high quality management and lowering errors in manufacturing. Moreover, industrial decarbonisation is accelerating AI adoption. The commercial sector—together with buildings and factories—accounts for over 40% of worldwide CO₂ emissions, making it the most important contributor to local weather change. AI-driven vitality optimisation and automation applied sciences are vital in lowering emissions, bettering useful resource effectivity, and reaching sustainability targets.

Past vitality administration, the Industrial Web of Issues (IIoT) is remodeling operations by enabling real-time information change, whereas collaborative robots (cobots) are redefining human-machine interplay. The convergence of AI, robotics, and vitality applied sciences—coupled with superior information administration—is revolutionising industries, driving each sustainability and competitiveness within the period of digital transformation.

Q: What are the important thing international tendencies in industrial automation over the previous yr? How does India evaluate by way of adoption?

A: Over the previous yr, industrial automation has been formed by key tendencies comparable to AI and ML-driven predictive upkeep, industrial decarbonisation, elevated adoption of IIoT and collaborative robots, and the shift in direction of software-driven, open automation for higher flexibility and effectivity. Sustainability stays a prime precedence, with automation optimising assets and lowering emissions. Whereas digital transformation is vital for competitiveness, a McKinsey examine discovered that fewer than 26% of firms efficiently carried out it as a consequence of organisational challenges like cross-functional collaboration. Nonetheless, adoption is bettering as management groups actively drive digital initiatives. In India, automation adoption is accelerating, pushed by authorities initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and a rising focus on sensible manufacturing.

Q: You talked about management assist. Do you assume there are deliberate efforts to withstand automation and AI as a consequence of considerations about job losses or lack of understanding?

A: At Schneider Electrical, we consider that profitable automation and AI implementation goes hand in hand with upskilling. When organisations embark on these initiatives, it’s essential to put money into steady studying in order that workers perceive not solely the probabilities but additionally the restrictions of those applied sciences.

We focus on equipping our individuals with the appropriate abilities to drive this transformation successfully, making certain alignment throughout the organisation. A transparent imaginative and prescient is important—one which empowers workers to adapt and thrive in an evolving industrial panorama. This strategy is on the core of Industry 5.0, the place expertise and human experience come collectively to create sustainable and environment friendly methods.

Q: Open automation is gaining momentum. What’s your perspective on it?

A: The momentum behind open automation is simple, and its affect on industries is transformative. With industries contributing almost 40% of worldwide emissions, optimising, digitising, and electrifying operations is vital to addressing sustainability challenges. Whereas digitisation and automation enhance effectivity, many present automation options are proprietary, limiting information entry on the IT stage and limiting integration capabilities.

Open automation bridges this hole by seamlessly integrating information from operational expertise (OT) to IT. Since roughly 80% of manufacturing facility information is generated via automation, open automation permits firms to orchestrate methods throughout totally different ranges and decouple {hardware} from software program. This flexibility permits software program updates with out {hardware} dependencies, making certain agility, lowering pointless prices, and enhancing total effectivity.

Q: How do you see the way forward for industries in India as regards to automation and AI?

A: India has an amazing alternative to develop into a world chief in industrial automation, pushed by AI, digitisation, and open automation. The nation is making vital strides in upskilling, investing in digitalisation, and adopting superior applied sciences, positioning itself for a way forward for sensible manufacturing. Nonetheless, for this transformation to achieve success, a extremely expert workforce, sustainable vitality sources, and a strong logistics infrastructure should align. Whereas challenges like ability gaps and legacy infrastructure stay, India’s dedication to digitalisation, authorities initiatives like ‘Make in India,’ and growing automation adoption throughout sectors like vitality, manufacturing, and infrastructure point out sturdy momentum.