Description

Artificial intelligence is moving from experimental projects toward practical industrial applications. In 2026, manufacturers are increasingly looking at AI not only for data analysis, but also for process monitoring, predictive maintenance, quality control and faster operational decision-making.
For OEMs and machine builders, this does not mean replacing conventional PLCs, sensors or control systems with AI. Instead, AI is increasingly being added around existing industrial systems to extract more value from process data. NIST's 2026 roadmap highlights AI-enabled sensing, digital twins, industrial data analytics, explainable AI and integration with heterogeneous sensing and control systems as important areas for smart manufacturing.