Siemens has teamed with competitor Google Cloud to optimise factory processes and improve productivity on the shop floor with the mass deployment of machine learning applications. Siemens already has an industrial IoT cloud called Mindsphere but it intends to integrate Google Cloud's data cloud and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) technologies with its factory automation systems. Many industrial manufacturers continue to use legacy software and multiple systems to analyze plant information, which is resource-intensive and requires frequent manual updates to ensure accuracy. In addition, while AI projects have been deployed by many companies in "islands" across the plant floor, manufacturers have struggled to implement AI at scale across their global operations. The combination of Google Cloud's data cloud and AI/ML capabilities with Siemens' Digital Industries Factory Automation portfolio, manufacturers will be able to harmonize their factory data, run cloud-based AI/ML models on top of that data, and deploy algorithms at the network edge.

It should come as no surprise that the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most eagerly anticipated trends in heavy industry. Powered by a host of technologies, including low-cost sensors, IP and wireless networks, private and public clouds, and powerful edge infrastructure, industrial IoT promises to transform the way companies provide products and services and interact with customers and partners. Simultaneously, another revolution is taking place in artificial intelligence (AI). For years, programmed intelligence based on simple rules and limited data inputs have powered various industrial applications. A robot arm that extracts a molded part from a chemical wash after certain conditions are met is an example of a narrow, "weak" AI.

It should come as no surprise that the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most eagerly anticipated trends in heavy industry. Powered by a host of technologies, including low-cost sensors, IP and wireless networks, private and public clouds, and powerful edge infrastructure, industrial IoT promises to transform the way companies provide products and services and interact with customers and partners. Simultaneously, another revolution is taking place in artificial intelligence (AI). For years, programmed intelligence based on simple rules and limited data inputs have powered various industrial applications. A robot arm that extracts a molded part from a chemical wash after certain conditions are met is an example of a narrow, "weak" AI.

In a recent installment of the Captain America movie series, Iron Man leverages machine learning during the heat of battle to predict fight patterns and optimize his engagement approach. The fact that Iron Man uses machine learning isn't that surprising. Machine learning, which simply refers to a form of artificial intelligence that enables a computer to learn by using algorithms that understand data and result in advanced predictions and recommendations, has been around for years. What caught my attention is the operating environment in which the machine learning capability is applied. Do you think Iron Man's superhuman abilities rely on a 4G or LTE connection to a machine learning algorithm in the cloud?