Microsoft and Siemens have extended their partnership to extend the advantages of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to global industries. As their initial step, they are launching Siemens Industrial Copilot, an AI-driven collaborative assistant designed to enhance cooperation between humans and machines in manufacturing. Also, the integration of Siemens Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management with Microsoft Teams is set to facilitate the development of the industrial metaverse. The integration is likely to streamline virtual collaboration among design engineers, frontline workers, and various teams across business divisions.
The companies envision AI copilots assisting professionals in various industries, including manufacturing, infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare. Numerous copilots are already planned in the manufacturing sectors, such as automotive, consumer package goods and machine building.
Siemens Industrial Copilot will allow users to rapidly generate, optimise and debug complex automation code, and significantly shorten simulation times. This will reduce a task that previously took weeks to minutes. The copilot ingests automation and process simulation information from Siemens’ open digital business platform, Siemens Xcelerator, and enhances it with Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service. Customers maintain full control over their data, and it is not used to train underlying AI models.
Siemens Industrial Copilot promises to boost productivity and efficiency across the industrial lifecycle. Using natural language, maintenance staff can be assisted with detailed repair instructions and engineers with quick access to simulation tools.
"With this next generation of AI, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate innovation across the entire industrial sector,” Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, Microsoft, said in a statement.
“We’re building on our longstanding collaboration with Siemens and bringing together AI advances across the Microsoft Cloud with Siemens’ industrial domain expertise to empower both frontline and knowledge workers with new, AI-powered tools, starting with Siemens Industrial Copilot.”
“Together with Microsoft, our shared vision is to empower customers with the adoption of generative AI,” said Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG.
“This has the potential to revolutionize the way companies design, develop, manufacture, and operate. Making human-machine collaboration more widely available allows engineers to accelerate code development, increase innovation and tackle skilled labor shortages.”