Aerospace and defense organizations are moving beyond their initial hype. artificial intelligence They want reliable industrial applications that increase productivity without introducing additional program risk.
Speaking to Aerospace Global News at Farnborough International Air Show, John Turnbull said: Dassault Systèmes Companies say they have spent the past two to three years exploring the potential of AI. The focus is now on how this technology can be integrated into established engineering environments and reliably used in complex, safety-critical programs.
“Everyone is talking about AI,” Turnbull said. “Everyone has been looking at AI tools for the last couple of years, but I think everyone is coming to the conclusion that some of the miracles that might have been expected are not as present as they once were.”
Turn AI into an industrial tool
Mr Turnbull argued that for aerospace and defence, industrial AI must be more than an additional layer of technology. That value comes from combining AI with model-based systems engineering, cyber systems, and existing product lifecycle management capabilities.
This integration enables engineers to manage increasingly complex programs while controlling cost, timescale, and technical risk. It can also support defense organizations seeking to accelerate acquisition without compromising the assurance required for mission-critical systems.
Turnbull explained that engineers will become “orchestrators of the industrial engineering process” using integrated digital tools to remove productivity barriers and help turn previously unrealistic ideas into viable programs.
However, speed alone is not enough. Aerospace technology must operate reliably and, where necessary, meet stringent certification standards.
“This is not a toy. It has to be certified technology,” Mr Turnbull said.
Dassault Systèmes believes virtual twin technology can help organizations meet that challenge by allowing them to digitally design, test, and evaluate products and systems before physical production begins. This gives engineers greater visibility across the program and allows them to identify potential problems early.
Virtual twins are back in the spotlight
Mr Turnbull said discussions at Farnborough focused on two closely related areas: modernizing existing product lifecycle management systems and establishing practical applications of AI.
Rather than treating AI as a standalone solution, customers are rethinking how virtual twins can improve the productivity and efficiency of their current engineering processes.
Dassault Systèmes has deep roots in aerospace and defense. That software was used to develop the Boeing 777, which Turnbull said was the first aircraft to be prototyped entirely in software before production.
The same virtual twin principle has since been applied to fields such as automotive manufacturing and life sciences.
A core question for aerospace and defense companies is how to combine established digital capabilities with the latest generation of AI tools to accelerate innovation while maintaining trust, traceability, and control.
To learn more about Dassault Systèmes at Farnborough International Air Show, read the full interview above.
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