Artificial Intelligence is shaping how businesses work and enhancing their capacity to thrive smartly. In recent years we have seen many awe-inspiring developments and super useful too. AI is working in almost every industry, such as food, cosmetics, wood, medicine, etc.; we know that every business requires packaging for their products, which defines the value of the packaging manufacturing industry. Keeping this in mind, AI is playing an impressive role in the advancement of the packaging industry too. Artificial intelligence is transforming the way the packaging industry is working.

AMP Robotics uses automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to sort materials within waste streams. We asked CEO Matanya Horowitz how this works, how data can be utilised and the ways automated sorting could impact the packaging industry. AMP Robotics developed an AI platform (AMP Neuron) to distinguish recyclable materials from waste. How did you come up with the idea? Ever since I was a child I've been interested in robotics and the origins of intelligence.

The proportion of packaging companies hiring for machine learning related positions rose significantly in April 2022 compared with the equivalent month last year, with 25% of the companies included in our analysis recruiting for at least one such position. This latest figure was higher than the 10.7% of companies who were hiring for machine learning related jobs a year ago and an increase compared to the figure of 17.9% in March 2022. When it came to the rate of all job openings that were linked to machine learning, related job postings rose in April 2022, with 0.5% of newly posted job advertisements being linked to the topic. This latest figure was an increase compared to the 0.2% of newly advertised jobs that were linked to machine learning in the equivalent month a year ago. Machine learning is one of the topics that GlobalData, from whom our data for this article is taken, have identified as being a key disruptive force facing companies in the coming years.

Elisabeth Skoda speaks to three industry leaders to find out more about how robotics and automation help tackle today's challenges. In the autumn of 2020, Japanese engineers presented a 18 metre-tall, 25-tonne heavy humanoid robot that could walk, wave its hand and even take the knee. This giant Gundam robot was inspired by a 1970s anime series that subsequently evolved into a multi-billion-dollar franchise. The technical challenges that had to be overcome to achieve this kind of movement were immense, given the weight and size of the robot. On a smaller scale, robots have been a key part of the packaging industry for decades, and while advances maybe have not been as spectacular as Gundam, they are just as impressive.