Adopting a smart data mindset in a world of big data

Industrial companies are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the fourth digital revolution. 1 1. The first two revolutions introduced programmable logic controllers and distributed control systems, which enabled plant-wide data collection and automation. The third revolution--advanced process controls--further abstracted automation into high-level models, allowing for increasingly dynamic plant operation. For more on the latest innovations in process controls, see Stephan Görner, Andy Luse, Naman Maheshwari, Ravi Malladi, Lapo Mori, and Robert Samek, "The potential of advanced process controls in energy and materials," November 23, 2020. AI leverages big data; it promises new insights that derive from applying machine learning to datasets with more variables, longer timescales, and higher granularity than ever.