Artificial intelligence, but real results in the supply chain

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of Automotive News Canada's two-part look into artificial intelligence in the Canadian auto industry. Scanning an employee badge at a Martinrea International Inc. plant is no longer reserved for the front gates. Today, operators swipe into assembly equipment with their keycards, logging details about how well they have been trained, their experience on the machines and what output level they can achieve. Sifting through the evolving stream of data using artificial intelligence (AI) helps match the right operator to the right machine, said Ganesh Iyer, chief technology officer at the Toronto-based supplier. The process is one in a growing arsenal of AI tools aimed at improving speed and precision at automakers and parts suppliers.