Data & Analytics News South Africa

ABB and Microsoft bring generative AI to industrial applications

Industrial automation specialists ABB will use Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service in its Ability Genix to help its industrial customers analyse and use their data better, using generative AI. This new feature will allow users to find new information and ideas from their data, saving time, money, energy, and the environment.
Industrial automation will have the biggest impact in the fight against climate change. Source: Michal Jarmoluk/Pixabay
Industrial automation will have the biggest impact in the fight against climate change. Source: Michal Jarmoluk/Pixabay

ABB will integrate generative AI through Azure OpenAI Service including large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 into the Genix platform and applications, enabling functionality such as code, image, and text generation.

Once launched, the new application – Genix Copilot – will enhance user experience by offering intuitive functionality and by streamlining the flow of contextualised data across processes and operations. This will provide industry executives, functional specialists, and shop floor engineers with real-time actionable insights for better decision-making and increased productivity.

Such insights have the potential to extend asset lifespan by up to 20% and minimise unplanned downtime by up to 60%.

In addition, the solution will have the capability to help customers achieve their sustainability and energy transition objectives by providing advanced monitoring and optimisation insights into the industrial greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage.

Capturing operator knowledge

Genix Copilot will also enable capturing an operator's knowledge and facilitating collaborative decision-making across various roles, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding data and knowledge within the enterprise.

“This is an important step in ABB and Microsoft’s strategic partnership which will accelerate the digital transformation of the industrial sector,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, global chief digital officer, ABB Process Automation.

“We believe Genix Copilot will help industrial customers achieve their combined objectives of sustainability, operational excellence and enhanced asset performance. Extending the generative AI capabilities across ABB’s industrial digital solutions will usher customers into a new era of AI enabling billions of better decisions.”

“We believe organisations that will be best positioned for long-term success are those that modernize and scale their data platforms,” said Ralph Haupter, president, EMEA at Microsoft.

“Applying advanced digital capabilities such as Azure OpenAI Service will strengthen ABB’s Genix to effectively manage the contextualised data while also helping drive the digital transformation critical for growth and lasting change.”

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