Stephanie Poore, MD UK & I, introduced IFS Connect at the VOX, Birmingham UK with an overview of the company, see below, and a Q&A session with Mark Moffat, CEO, who gave the vision of IFS becoming the leader in Industrial AI.
The main theme of IFS Connect at the VOX, Birmingham, was that ‘Industrial’ AI is different from ‘Commercial’ AI in several important ways. Christian Pederson and other speakers explained how IFS is using it throughout its product range.
Pederson listed over 200 applications where ‘Industrial AI is used within IFS products’.
Pederson also explained how Industrial AI is evolving from Predictive to Generative and then to Agentic AI.
Key Differentiators of Industrial AI – Cambashi’s perspective​
All data consumed and produced must bevalidated i.e. ‘hallucination’ is not an option. Commercial AI systems such as ChatGPT rely on ‘Large Language Models’ (LLMs) which will have been created some time ago using data from multiple sources. When there is insufficient data, they make up answers (i.e. ‘hallucinate’) – this is not acceptable for Industrial AI which supports mission-critical operations.
Industrial data relies heavily on internal data such as product specifications, and external sources such as industry regulations and standards i.e. accurately defined and referenceable datasets.
Commercial systems such as Chat GPT may be used in addition to Industrial AI For example, when writing marketing material or product descriptions or documenting processes. However, the output will need to be validated by a qualified person.Â
Business processes and the data used in them must betraceable and transparent within the secure business confines in which they are used. Industrial businesses are required to be able to document processes and data, for example in the event of accident or legal claims, and this is necessary for future product evolution.List item
Neural networks may be used – but not necessarily ‘Conventional’ programming, and existing capabilities such as Machine Learning may be used to provide the continuous learning features expected from AI. AI products such as Chat GPT use neural networks to model and predict patterns. While this can be extremely productive, it is also very compute-intensive (hence the need for massive data centers) and can lead to issues such as ‘hallucination’ – see above.
About Cambashi
Cambashi is a market research, industry analysis and consulting firm that operates globally from its headquarters in Cambridge, UK. Its independent research and analysis delivers compelling insights on the use of IT to address business issues in manufacturing, process, distribution, energy, utilities and construction industries.
The Cambashi Market Observatories provide companies worldwide with the objective information needed to clarify decisions assess trends and develop effective marketing strategies. In addition to delivering global market data and related consulting services, Cambashi offers a unique web-based industry training curriculum.
