Smart Manufacturing Second Take With No AI
The author used Claude.ai to produce a 3,000‑word essay on smart manufacturing, then reflected on the AI’s behavior. Claude dutifully supplied citations, praised the author’s style, and echoed familiar frameworks like the Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture without critical questioning. The piece defines smart manufacturing as a continuous data‑driven evolution rather than a static product, tracing its lineage from 1970s IBM minicomputers to today’s sensor‑rich, edge‑enabled factories. It also notes CESMII’s push for an open‑standard API to stitch together disparate manufacturing data sources.
Smart Manufacturing: A System of Systems, a Holarchy of Value
Smart manufacturing is evolving from a buzzword into a structured, hierarchical system that combines real‑time data, lean principles, and advanced technologies. The essay frames it as a system‑of‑systems and a holarchy, where each component—from sensors to enterprise ERP—functions as an...
Cal Newport On Why AI Isn’t Making It Easier
Cal Newport argues that generative AI has not lightened workloads, echoing past tech disruptions. Research from ActivTrak tracking 164,000 workers shows AI users doubled time spent on email, messaging and chat, and increased use of business‑management tools by 94%, while...
Benedict Evans on OpenAI Business
Benedict Evans argues that OpenAI’s business model is fragile, lacking a unique technology edge or sticky consumer products. While the company enjoys a large user base, engagement is shallow and there is no clear network effect to lock in users....
Webinar: High Availability, Simplified
DH2i is hosting a webinar on April 16 at 12:00 pm EDT to demonstrate its newest high‑availability solution for Microsoft SQL Server across Windows, Linux and Kubernetes. The session will walk IT teams through automated scale‑up and scale‑down of SQL Server...
Podcast–Why AI?
The Manufacturing Connection released podcast episode 275, titled “Why AI in Manufacturing? Why not?” The host explores how emerging AI tools can augment knowledge work and manufacturing, while stressing the need for hands‑on experimentation to discover effective use cases. The discussion...
DNV Outlines Foundations for Achieving Trustworthy AI
DNV released a position paper outlining how traditional risk‑management principles can be adapted to assure AI‑enabled systems in safety‑critical industries. The research emphasizes a continuous, lifecycle‑wide assurance model that captures the full AI ecosystem, from data and algorithms to human...
High Availability, Disaster Recovery, and Operational Resilience Across SQL Server Environments
DH2i announced the general availability of DxEnterprise v26.0 and DxOperator v2, upgrades that bring advanced high‑availability, disaster‑recovery and resilience features to SQL Server on Windows, Linux and Kubernetes. DxEnterprise adds default database‑level health monitoring, automatic quorum enforcement to avoid split‑brain, and stronger...
TwinThread Launches Perfect Batch
TwinThread unveiled Perfect Batch, an AI‑driven analytics suite for batch‑process manufacturers. The platform automatically creates digital twins from historical data, learns optimal control limits, and recommends actions to replicate "golden" batches within hours. Integrated with the Thread Builder workflow engine,...
Honeywell AI Powered Control Room Assistant
Honeywell announced the commercial launch of Experion Operations Assistant, an AI‑powered control‑room solution built on its Experion PKS platform. The assistant merges historical and real‑time data to forecast unsafe conditions and production losses, giving operators 5‑10 minutes of advance warning...
25 Most-Learned Skills Survey
Wiingy, a tutor‑marketplace, released a data‑driven report identifying the 25 most‑learned skills in America, drawing from over 6.7 million monthly Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs searches. Technology topics dominate, accounting for 33 % of queries, with Python, artificial intelligence and data science...
ABB Adds Symphony PLus to Automation Extended
ABB has released SPR2025, the latest Symphony Plus distributed control system (DCS) package, integrating its Automation Extended platform. The update adds system‑wide OPC UA, an Ethernet backbone, and support for modern Microsoft operating systems and virtualization platforms, enabling secure, interoperable...
Buggy AI-Generated Code
Generative AI tools are increasingly responsible for production‑grade bugs, prompting Amazon’s e‑commerce and AWS divisions to experience notable outages. Senior VP Dave Treadwell convened an all‑hands meeting, mandating senior engineer sign‑offs on AI‑assisted code changes. Anthropic responded with Claude Code,...
Velotic Launches Combining Former Proficy, Kepware, ThingWorx
Velotic has launched as an independent industrial software firm, merging GE Vernova’s Proficy, PTC’s Kepware and ThingWorx under the financial backing of private‑equity firm TPG. The company is led by former Rockwell Automation executive Brian Shepherd as CEO and PTC...
Free Robotic Learning Event in Northern Nevada
OnRobot is hosting a free, in‑person “Build Your Automation Roadmap” event in Reno on April 9, 2026, showcasing FANUC robots and end‑of‑arm tooling for manufacturers. The session targets metal fabrication, CNC machining, electronics, aerospace, food & beverage, and industrial equipment firms...
