For almost as long as it’s been a state, Wisconsin has been home to “firsts” in manufacturing innovation. Inventors and entrepreneurs educated or working here produced the first motorcycle, steel automobile frame, gas-powered tractor, kitchen garbage disposal, electric room thermostat, automatic clothes dryer, typewriter, integrated circuit, mechanical cherry picker and robot welder, to name a few.
So, what’s to stop Wisconsin from becoming the leader in a new wave of manufacturing productivity prompted by artificial intelligence?
That was the core question on the minds of about 60 people who gathered Oct. 30 at the world headquarters for Husco International Inc., a Wisconsin-born firm specializing in high-performance hydraulic and electro-mechanical components for many end-users. Husco leaders were joined by executives from about 20 other Wisconsin companies, as well as academic researchers and workforce experts to envision the next chapter of manufacturing innovation.
Collectively, they came to hear from the Institute for Furthering AI and Computing in Manufacturing, a UW-Milwaukee-based consortium that is applying to become the first “AI for Resilient Manufacturing” institute within the existing Manufacturing USA public-private partnership. That partnership is tied to the National Institutes of Science and Technology but run by non-profits in 17 locations nationwide.
The Wisconsin effort could lead to a five-year, $70-million award from NIST, assuming a multi-stage application process pans out. Based on the manufacturing and scientific muscle gathered at Husco, however, the state’s bid to become a national leader appears strong.
The stated goal is to enable safe, efficient and responsible adoption of AI in American manufacturing – not just in Wisconsin – through a market-based approach that will develop testbeds and secure databases, learn what’s scalable and can be applied safely and efficiently, and to align the process with workforce education, training and retraining. (Another Wisconsin “first,” by the way, was a 1911 law that created an apprenticeship model still used today statewide and across the nation.)
The underlying if unstated goal is to enhance U.S. competitiveness in a world in which other major countries – China chiefly among them – could move quickly to develop an AI edge in manufacturing. As one workshop participant noted: “The reason this is being funded is that this is a global race. That’s what (NIST) cares about. It’s about the durability of our economic and national security.”
Wisconsin is well-positioned for the effort because it is No. 2 among the 50 states in manufacturing concentration in the workforce, with about 18% of workers engaged. It also has major engineering schools and technical colleges spread across the state, along with computer science schools. Not far away, the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois is using AI to design better materials, safeguard power grids and generally drive innovation.
Still, it all comes down to whether greater AI use in manufacturing is a matter of technology “push” or market “pull.” Long-term success likely depends on whether small- and medium-sized manufacturers have the financial and workforce bandwidth to make artificial intelligence valuable for them and their workers.
Examples of AI use in manufacturing already include predictive maintenance, inventory and supply chain management, quality assurance, advanced robotics, defect detection and customer demand forecasting. Those uses can enhance the “pull” side of the equation.
Manufacturers who spoke at the Husco meeting were unanimous in saying AI is not about eliminating jobs but transforming overly repetitive tasks into productive, quality work for managers and employees alike. As one participant said, AI could lead to a “step-ladder approach to job progression” and greater job satisfaction.
There is no doubt AI can be used for good or evil, much like some other technology tools. Wisconsin can be a leader in ensuring AI is put to a productive use, however, while keeping deepfakes, disinformation and privacy breaches to a minimum.
Artificial intelligence is a tech-blue genie that won’t be crammed back into the bottle – in Wisconsin, the United States or by competitors abroad. The best choice is to make it a very useful genie.
Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.
