AI in Manufacturing Summit 2024

In January 2024, we co-hosted the first edition of our “AI in Manufacturing Summit” together with the ETH Chair of Production and Operations Management and the ETH AI Center. It brought together forty manufacturing leaders and AI experts to explore the potential of AI in the manufacturing sector. The summit conducted a reality check on AI in manufacturing and offered a unique blend of networking, insights, and experiences. Participants engaged in a rich side program featuring interactive discussions and presentations from industry frontrunners and academic experts.

Day 1 – Hype vs. Reality

On the first day, all participants traveled to the AI House in Davos to attend a panel discussion moderated by Prof. Torbjørn Netland from ETH Zurich. The panelists Dr. Gunter Beitinger from Siemens, Prof. Alexandra Brintrup from the University of Cambridge, Eric Enselme of the World Economic Forum, and Dr. Julian Senoner from EthonAI shared their perspectives on the most promising AI use cases and the hype versus reality of AI in manufacturing.

Watch the full panel here: https://youtu.be/mn3LG6VM3Ek?feature=shared

Day 2 – Scaling AI in Manufacturing

On the second day, participants gathered at ETH for two panels and group discussions.

The first panel focused on emerging trends in industrial AI and was moderated by Dr. Julian Senoner from EthonAI. The panelists Dr. Matthias Graeber from Bühler Group, Dr. Sigmund Hope from Aker Solutions, Prof. Olga Fink from EPFL, and Prof. Stefan Feuerriegel from LMU, shared their insights on use cases in generative AI and causal AI.

The second panel focused on scaling AI in large enterprises and was moderated by Prof. Torbjørn Netland. The panel examined AI integration challenges in large corporations and effective strategies for implementation. Insights came from Prof. Gisela Lanza of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Dr. Thorsten Widmer from Robert Bosch GmbH, Dr. Bernhard Kratzwald from EthonAI, and Prof. Jay Lee from the University of Maryland.

Annual Summit to Guide AI Implementation

Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the AI in Manufacturing Summit is set to become an annual gathering. The event is designed to deepen the understanding of AI’s role in manufacturing and to assist industry leaders in the implementation of the most promising use cases.