2018 is going to be the year of artificial intelligence (AI). That was my key take away from a bunch of conversations I had at Productronica, the tradeshow for electronics development and production in Munich in November and at the more recent consumer electronics tradeshow CES in January. Not just in consumer electronics, smart cities, and autonomous vehicles, but also around the factory as we search for the next big step along the road to the fourth industrial revolution.  

A glance at the available market research confirmed my suspicions. The artificial intelligence market was valued at $1.36 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 52% during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, according to a recent report from Research and Markets.

I realized that these big industry events offered a huge opportunity in terms of industry insight and knowledge. I took the opportunity to ask some friends and colleagues how they see AI finding its way into smart factory solutions this year. I wanted to know how much progress we can expect once we unleash the power of this game changing technology.

I tracked down high-level leaders at the companies that are creating the critical manufacturing technology found in factories all over the world and providing high-tech manufacturing services to forward-thinking and demanding customers.  Many were incredibly optimistic, while others are more conservative. All had plenty of interesting things to say 

Click on the image below to start a slideshow of their comments. Then let us know in the comments section what you expect from AI in the coming year.