Rockwell Automation and Microsoft partner to enhance industrial automation with AI-driven solutions

Rockwell Automation and Microsoft are collaborating to enhance industrial automation design and development through generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Rockwell Automation shared in a press statement that through the extension of their strategic partnership, the companies are combining technologies to empower the workforce and accelerate time-to-market for customers building industrial automation systems. The first outcome of this collaboration will add Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service into FactoryTalk Design Studio to deliver capabilities accelerating time-to-market for their customers building industrial automation systems.

The companies reportedly recognize that using AI to enhance automation across various roles, from decision-makers to control engineers and operators, is a key area where they can come together to help customers streamline their processes and drive worker productivity.

Adding Azure OpenAI Service into FactoryTalk Design Studio helps engineers generate code using natural language prompts, automating routine tasks and improving design efficiency. It will also empower seasoned engineers to accelerate development and mentor newcomers on a learning path more efficiently and effectively. Additionally, it will assist in finding relevant help from vast collections of information to further educate developers. Rockwell and Microsoft see a bright future in extending this integrated technology to solve other challenges, including Quality Management and Improvement, Failure Mode Analysis, and training frontline workers to execute manufacturing processes through chat-based collaboration with experienced human workers as well as Azure Open AI Service-based chatbots.

“The skilled labour shortage and ensuing lost productivity is the biggest challenge facing industrial organizations and their service providers today. These shortages are increasing the need, value, and complexity of automation projects when the ecosystem of service providers is less equipped to deliver on time, quality, and budget,” said Matthew Littlefield, president of LNS Research. “Generative AI has already proven its ability to capture the imagination and enhance the productivity of workers in a range of IT and business scenarios. Rockwell Automation and Microsoft’s strategic partnership is an exciting and high-potential step forward in addressing these long-term structural challenges.”