This year, veteran engineers will be back on site to find faults before parts go into production. Their work could reshape the way Ford marries human experience and AI.
Ford announced it will hire 350 experienced engineers after its artificial intelligence and automation systems failed to meet required quality levels. Some of them had previously worked for the company, while others had worked for suppliers.
According to Bloomberg, Ford Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra told reporters that the company has increased its reliance on automated quality control systems, but the results have been disappointing.
Ford has increasingly relied on automated quality control systems, but the results have been disappointing.
– Bloomberg
Bloomberg also reported that Ford has brought back technical experts who look for failures even before parts arrive at production sites.
Ford has brought back technical experts who look for failures before parts reach the production floor.
– Bloomberg
Charles Poon, Ford’s vice president of hardware engineering, added, “We mistakenly thought that simply implementing artificial intelligence and using the design requirements we had would result in a high-quality product.”
We mistakenly thought that simply implementing artificial intelligence and using the design requirements we had would result in a quality product.
– Charles Poon
To be clear, this doesn’t mean Ford is completely abandoning its AI plans. Instead, rehired engineers known as “graybeards” are being used to train younger staff and recalibrate AI tools.
The new jobs are starting to pay off, with Ford expecting to save about $1 billion this year.
Additionally, the company announced that it ranked first among major brands in JD Power’s initial quality study released this week.
Looking to the future: Balancing experience and technology
Ultimately, Ford continues to confidently combine the experience of its veteran engineers with the capabilities of artificial intelligence, aiming to improve product quality and reduce costs while maintaining a balance between human factors and technology.
