American automaker Ford recently brought back roughly 350 veteran engineers after its automated quality control systems failed to deliver expected results. Like many global firms leveraging the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, Ford integrated the tech into its operations to reduce costs and boost productivity. However, the automaker admitted that AI alone lacked the nuanced human experience necessary to ensure high vehicle quality.
Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering at Ford, admitted that the company should have respected the experience of its veteran engineers.
“Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it’s only as good as the information you use to train it,” said Poon, as per BBC, adding: “Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles.”
As per Poon, the automated tools lacked the experience and practical knowledge of veteran engineers, many of whom had already left the company before their expertise could be used to improve the AI systems.
“Mistakenly, we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting the design requirements that we had, that would produce a high-quality product,” he said.
The development comes in the backdrop of the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Kumar Galhotra, last year stating that the firm was “deploying AI across the entire industrial system”. As part of its AI push, Ford installed around 900 AI-powered cameras across its manufacturing plants to identify quality issues early and reduce supply disruptions.
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General Motors Replaces Workers With Robots
While Ford is rehiring workers, another American carmaker is facing backlash for its approach to AI and employees. Labour unions have slammed General Motors after the company cut more than 1,000 jobs at its main Detroit assembly plant and replaced the human workers with 50 new robot units.
The automaker said the dozens of robotic units had been added to the plant as part of its broader automation strategy, adding that they were necessary to stay competitive as well as improve “safety and ergonomics” for the workers.
“We’ve been installing cobots across our manufacturing footprint as part of a broader push to bring more advanced technology into our operations,” spokesman Kevin Kelly said.
“At Factory ZERO, we are implementing them alongside our team, helping improve safety and ergonomics, while keeping our operations flexible and competitive.”
