Future Tech Meets Industrial Tradition

A new AI future is upon us ... or so the gurus claim. Everywhere you turn, there's another tech visionary painting pictures of a utopian future just around the corner. Two breakthroughs away. Like a switch. As someone with a foot in both the AI world and industrial technology, I find myself in a special position. My friends often label me as some sort of "AI evangelist", and they're not entirely wrong. I'm genuinely enthusiastic about how AI will transform our personal lives and shake up entertainment. It's going to be wild. Soon.

But when it comes to those grand, civilization-changing promises, like unlimited energy, factories that run themselves, healthcare for all and cure to all diseases, rapid space colonization... I've got to pump the brakes a bit. It's not that these things are impossible. They'll happen. But achieving them needs more than just clever algorithms and faster processors. We're talking about a massive overhaul of the industrial backbone of our civilization. The industries I am speaking about are those like manufacturing, logistics, transportation, energy and many others that, let's be real, are the ones that actually keep the lights on.

Here's the thing: for years, the worlds of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT, the one that control the actual physical world such as power grids, factory equipment, pipelines...) have been like distant cousins. Yes, some of us have been playing matchmakers over the last year, but trust me here, most of the industry isn't ready for an instant romance with generative AI. It's not as simple as upgrading software, it's requires rewiring the entire culture of how we approach industrial systems.

Let me put it this way, bringing AI into industrial settings isn't like updating your smartphone. The stakes are high. Imagine trying to swap out a jet engine... but while the plane is in flight! That's more how the kind of challenge we're up against feels like. These systems have to be reliable, available, maintainable, and safe (RAMS, as we call it). Mixing in cutting-edge AI without breaking anything? That's the challenge.

And now here's the kicker: the individuals best positioned to lead this job are industrial integrators, which aren't exactly Silicon Valley AI guys. These are more like the unseen heroes keeping our factories, power plants, and infrastructure humming along so we can go along with our modern lives. These guys know these systems inside out, but many of them are more comfortable with wrenches than Python scripts (yes, I am exaggerating, but I want people to understand the real divide). To make this AI revolution happen, they'll need to team up with the AI crowd and rethink everything we know about industrial tech. And they need to do it pronto. We want that future of abundance.

I hope you didn't get me wrong, I'm still a techno-optimist at heart. I believe generative AI will create a world of abundance and crack some of our toughest problems. But I also think we're underestimating just how much elbow grease it'll take to get there. Last year, I made it my personal and corporate mission to support this journey to the maximum of my capacity. This is not anymore about business, but rather about being part of a transformation that could redefine our civilization.

The AI revolution in industry is coming, no doubt about it. But at the world-changing level, it won't happen overnight. It's going to be a journey exciting, challenging, and ultimately transformative. So, buckle up friends. The future is bright, but the road there? it's going to be one hell of a ride.