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ML Journal February 2025

Scenes from MLC’s AI Conference

The Conrad Orlando was the site of the 2024 Future of Manufacturing Project event. The theme was AI-Centric Factories of the Future.

The opportunities and challenges of applying artificial intelligence in manufacturing operations were explored at MLC’s recent event in Orlando. 

 

More than 190 manufacturing executives gathered in Orlando in early December of last year to talk about AI-Centric Factories of the Future. More than one dozen case studies, panel discussions, and presentations were delivered at the one-day conference, which was part of the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s Future of Manufacturing Project.

The goal of the Project is to help manufacturing executives understand the potential of advanced technologies to improve their operations in the years ahead.

The following are photos from the Orlando conference. MLC members can access full videos of the sessions depicted in the photos by going to the MLC Member Resource Center: https://manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com/member-dashboard/resource-center/resource_type/future-of-manufacturing-project/

Photos by David Bohrer, Senior Director, Photography, at the NAM.

Manufacturing Leadership Council Founder David R. Brousell opened the conference with a talk entitled The Growing Competition for AI Supremacy.

In a keynote, the University of Illinois’ Michael Bennett talks about what’s next for AI.

Overcoming innovation barriers with AI across the product lifecycle was the subject of a case study by Eaton Corp.’s Uyiosa Abusomwan.

MLC’s Penelope Brown talks with (l to r) NTT DATA’s Wendy Collins and Invisible AI’s Eric Danzinger about rethinking decision-making processes with AI.

MLC’s Steve Moskowitz interviews Jabil’s Zohair Mehkri about the challenge and opportunity of scaling AI.

How AI Empowers Manufacturing Ecosystems was the title of a panel discussion hosted by (l to r) MLC’s Jeff Puma and with Purdue University’s Ali Shakouri, West Monroe’s Randall Kenworthy, Click Bond’s Karl Hutter, and CESMII’s John Dyck.

A panel on lessons from lean leadership for an AI-centric future was moderated by MLC’s Steve Moskowitz and with (l tor) Baldwin Richardson Foods’ Larry Megan, Cornerstone Building Brands’ Gustavo Chohfi, and Genetech’s Kevin Kozak.

ARC Advisory Group’s Mark Sen Gupta described the role of AI in achieving autonomous operations.

The MLC’s Penelope Brown moderated a session titled The Impact of AI Regulations and Ethics on Manufacturing with (l to r) the NAM’s Franck Journoud, IBM’s Ron Castro, and MTDG’s Dean Bartles.

DARPA’s Andrew Detor outlined DARPA’s breakthrough R&D in materials science and manufacturing.

AI at scale in manufacturing was the subject of a case study by Schneider Electric’s Anubhav Singh.

MLC’s Steve Moskowitz interviewed 3M’s Rebecca Teeters about integrating ESG and AI to drive manufacturing success.

MLC’s David Brousell moderated a panel titled Evaluating Future Scenarios with AI with (l to r) Kalypso’s Sachin Misra and Accenture’s Partiv Shah.

A final panel on creating manufacturing’s AI-centric future was moderated (l to r) by MLC’s Steven Moskowitz and with the University of Illinois’ Michael Bennett and Hershey’s Will Bonifant.

About the author:

David Brousell


David R. Brousell
is the Founder, Vice President and Executive Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council

 

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