July 28, 2025
Tokyo – As the sector faces an older employee base and labor shortage, manufacturing companies are looking to utilize artificial intelligence systems to pass the skills of senior colleagues to young workers in manufacturing plants.
Through trial and error, companies are developing schemes to train employees more effectively and efficiently, and seeking to improve traditional ways in which young workers had to watch the behavior of senior colleagues and acquire skills.
Use AI systems on tablets
The AI work system using Metaverse, a virtual space on the Internet, was recently shown to the press at Hitachi Corporation's research and development center in Kokabunge, Tokyo.
Akiyama Takako, the base's chief researcher, enters the following questions on her tablet: “The sensor indicates that the temperature is too high. What should I do?”
The AI system evaluated the most appropriate work process based on equipment blueprints and past examples of incidents. “It appears you're short on cold water. Please open the cold water valve manually,” the response was.
Metaverse allows users to view specific ways to interact with their devices. AI systems can be used by inexperienced workers.
Inspections from Renesas Electronics Corp. Plant found that using Hitachi's AI system increased the capacity of unskilled workers by about 30%.
“It is important to create a scheme to pass on the skills of highly skilled workers more efficiently,” Akiyama said.
Use virtual reality
Like Hitachi, Meidensha Corp., a leading heavy electronic machinery manufacturer, aims to “visualize” skills and efficiently pass them to younger workers.
The company plans to introduce training systems as early as this fall, as manufacturing sites that include electrical transformers, electrical distribution boards and other devices will be reproduced in 3D virtual reality spaces.
“Workers can learn at any time,” said a company official. “With the fear of a labor shortage is growing, we want to ensure that the skills of our veteran workers are communicated to juniors.”
Shift from practical training
Until recently, the main way to pass on skills to veteran workers was through on-site training. In comparison, AI-assisted systems can be more efficient.
NEC Facility Ltd., a subsidiary of NEC Corp., opened a vocational training facility last year to train managers who manage plant equipment. The training facilities have the same type of equipment and facilities as those of actual plants, such as clean rooms needed for semiconductor production.
Generic AI systems automatically generate reports that analyze workers' behavior and propose improvements.
New workers in a company's factories usually require around 12 years to become skilled workers, but the AI system could shorten the duration to six years.
According to the Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry's manufacturing white paper on manufacturing industries, the total number of manufacturing companies' employees in 2024 was 10.46 million, a decline of about 10% from 20 years ago. In the white paper, 85.3% of manufacturers say it is difficult to promote talent and develop workers' capabilities. Of these, over 60% added that there is a shortage of personnel to train young workers.
