AI has been a rapidly growing part of the business world for a number of years. Recent developments in the technology have accelerated that growth to the point where it is now believed that AI is going to be the driving force for innovation in business over the next 12 months.
In the food processing industry especially, AI is a huge factor in the move towards smart factories. As we look towards 2022, we can see what trends in this space are likely to bring the biggest changes to the industry moving forward.
Deep Learning
Deep learning is where machines are able to learn and adapt to be able to complete new tasks. It utilises data, statistics and predictive modelling to, in a way, mimic the way in which human cognitive function is able to work out tasks critically.
Rather than a linear code structure deep learning code is much more complex and ambiguous. In a way, deep learning is a way of automating predictive analysis.
With the recent uptake of AI over the last several years deep learning is set to have a larger and larger role in how AI Is used on the factory floor in the future. This is because the AI that has been previously installed will now or will soon be required to adapt to changes.
is where deep learning comes in to allow those changes on the factory floor to be made without large scale and expensive hardware changes. For the food processing industry this is especially beneficial.
Deep learning means that hardware is able to adapt to changes in manufacturing process such as recipe changes or even entire product changes without the need to change the machines. This saves money for the business and also builds agility so that the company can respond with speed to changes in the market, ultimately improving profitability.
Robotics
One of the most obvious ways in which AI is able to serve the food processing industry is through the improvement of robotics that it is able to bring. AI is able to create smarter processes through intuitive coding that improve the productivity of the machines on the factory floor.
This is a key area of improvement for businesses in the industry. In fact, it is often the primary factor in the decision for business owners to implement AI into manufacturing processes.
Improvements to the robotics speed up production which increases the capacity of the business, ultimately improving profit margins. As a result, improvements in the robotic technologies on the factory floor is set to remain a major trend for AI in the manufacturing industry.
Marketing and Reduced Admin
AI is also to help businesses away from the factory floor. It also able to promote the company and streamline their marketing processes. AI is able to interpret data effectively to work out exactly what the end user’s requirements are.
This helps businesses to effectively market themselves to new customers improving their sales and increasing profits. Similar technology can also be used to complete more menial tasks.
One of the ways in which AI is looking to progress in the future is through document analysis. This means that admin tasks that would previously have to be completed by staff, who often dislike this area of their role, can now be automated.
The streamlining of this process has a number of benefits, where in areas of the business where there can be a lot of red tape. Not only is the admin process made more efficient by the use of AI, the lack of admin can also improve both staff productivity and satisfaction.
This is because they can focus on the more challenging areas of their jobs without the need for the distraction of admin tasks. As noted at the beginning of this article, AI is one of the quickest evolving areas in business and its potential is almost unlimited.
The trends we are seeing now are just a small part of where we see the technology reaching in the future. For businesses, harnessing that technology now is key to moving with the technology as it develops to give themselves the platform to utilize AI properly.
