Will AI replace a Industrial Automation Engineer?
AI risk 68/100Opportunity 85/100Future demand 82/100
How AI is affecting this role
- ›Instead of manually coding a timer logic for 50 different motors, the engineer uses a prompt in GitHub Copilot to generate the entire Function Block in Structured Text.
- ›The engineer uses a Python script to analyze 6 months of voltage logs and identifies a specific harmonic that precedes a VFD failure.
- ›Using Midjourney, the engineer creates a visual concept for a new HMI screen layout before building it in WinCC.
Ways to survive
- ›Master the integration of IT (AI/Cloud) with OT (Hardware/PLCs) by learning MQTT and OPC-UA protocols.
- ›Focus on safety-critical systems where AI liability is currently a barrier to full automation.
- ›Learn to configure and train edge-AI cameras for visual quality inspection.
Ways to get ahead with AI
- ›Build internal dashboards using PowerBI connected to live plant data to visualize inefficiencies.
- ›Automate the generation of FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) documents using GPT-4 based on PLC tag lists.
- ›Deploy agents that monitor alarm queues and summarize top recurring issues for the morning shift.
How ONROL helps
ONROL's AI Architect track will teach you how to build Python-based agents that interact with your SCADA systems and how to use Copilot to accelerate PLC programming.
Talk to an ONROL counsellor
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