ABB releases a new round of AI strategy to drive industrial AI technology innovation and industrial landing

Embedding artificial intelligence into the entire business line, with over 100 AI projects currently underway

Joining hands with partners and investing in start-up technology companies to further expand AI innovation capabilities

AI powered automation and electrification solutions to support Chinese customers in unlocking the potential value of AI

The wave of artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented speed, profoundly changing many industries. ABB's various businesses are accelerating their pace of AI innovation, upgrading their strategic layout, and increasing investment. Today, at the ABB Artificial Intelligence Strategy Conference held in Shanghai, Dr. An Shiming, President of ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation Division, introduced ABB's latest strategy and application achievements in the field of artificial intelligence, and shared ABB's implementation path and application deployment for analytical AI and generative AI. By combining artificial intelligence with professional knowledge, it helps customers unlock new scenarios, create new value, and form new quality productivity.

ABB has accumulated profound experience in the field of artificial intelligence. Since 2014. we have continued to create value for our customers through AI enabled automation and electrification solutions. The rapid development of generative AI has triggered a new round of industry transformation and leap forward. Machines have become smarter, more powerful, and easier to use, lowering the threshold for automation applications in enterprises of all sizes, while also meeting the needs of users for higher flexibility and intelligence in labor shortages and uncertain environments. ABB will work closely with customers, partners, and the education industry to promote innovative development of artificial intelligence and jointly build a better and prosperous future

AI innovation accelerates empowerment of all business lines

As a global technology leader, ABB is increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into its automation and electrification product portfolio, helping customers in fields such as power, industry, transportation, and infrastructure improve efficiency, quality, and innovation capabilities. ABB has focused on AI application categories such as insight generation, process optimization, skill development, and human-computer interaction, and has carried out more than 100 artificial intelligence projects, taking into account both analytical AI and generative AI.

ABB's four major businesses of electrical, motion control, process automation, robotics, and discrete automation have all applied artificial intelligence to serve customers in various industries. From macro level energy management to micro level robot motion path planning, artificial intelligence can effectively optimize operations and achieve energy efficiency doubling. Typical cases include:

ABB utilizes building system data, combined with behavioral patterns, for building energy management, significantly reducing emissions, lowering costs by over 20%, and extending equipment lifespan;

ABB uses artificial intelligence to assist in predicting potential faults in frequency converters, and conducts predictive maintenance by analyzing operational data, significantly improving equipment availability and reducing maintenance costs;

The ABB Ability Genix industrial analysis and AI suite can help businesses save up to 40% on operational and maintenance costs, increase production efficiency by 30%, and optimize energy and emissions by 25% through process optimization.

In the field of human-computer interaction, ABB uses natural language instructions to teach robots how to perform operations such as picking and placing, improving usability and facilitating quick debugging.

Robot+promotes the collaborative integration of AI and industry

The world today is facing major trends such as personalized consumption, accelerated digitization and artificial intelligence, labor shortages, and increasing uncertainty. ABB provides leading robotics and automation solutions to increase production capacity and quality, enhance flexibility and ease of use, and help businesses respond more flexibly and efficiently to the challenges and opportunities brought by these trends. The application of artificial intelligence enables more cost-effective robots and automation, benefiting more enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

With the support of data and artificial intelligence, robot autonomy has been elevated to a new level, achieving adaptability in new environments. By integrating artificial intelligence into robot solutions, ABB not only brings greater autonomy to users, but also achieves stronger mobility, as well as more powerful image processing and analysis capabilities.

Quality inspection: ABB provides an artificial intelligence robot welding quality inspection system that can detect, discover, and identify defects as small as 22 microns at a speed 20 times faster than manual labor;

Predictive maintenance: Based on the failed physical model and AI evaluation criteria learning, ABB robot fault prediction accuracy can reach 99.9%, with 1 to 3 months of early warning and zero production interruption;

Autonomous drilling: ABB robots equipped with sensors and AI systems help Xunda drill holes and install anchor bolts in elevator shafts, greatly improving construction accuracy and operational safety;

Item picking: With the support of 3D vision guidance and AI deep neural networks, ABB robots can quickly, efficiently, and accurately pick up randomly placed workpieces, and can perform 1400 picking operations per hour;

Autonomous Mobility: ABB applies 3D Vision Synchronized Localization and Map Building (VSLAM) technology to autonomous mobile robots, enabling them to make intelligent navigation decisions based on their surrounding environment.

To meet the growing demand for robot solutions empowered by artificial intelligence, ABB actively invests in expanding production facilities and enhancing AI innovation capabilities. A world-class robot super factory has been built and put into operation in Shanghai, and new centers for artificial intelligence, digitization, and software innovation and development have been launched; Expanded existing robot factories in the United States and Sweden to increase production capacity and develop new generation artificial intelligence technologies.

ABB adopts a combination of endogenous growth and mergers and acquisitions to promote innovation and implementation of AI technology, and build an AI application ecosystem. By investing in promising AI startups, ABB continuously expands new technologies, understands new industries, and explores new business models. In early 2024. ABB acquired Swiss startup Sevensense to expand its leadership position in the field of next-generation AI autonomous mobile robots; Acquiring a majority stake in research and development engineering company Meshmind to expand its research and development capabilities in the fields of artificial intelligence, industrial IoT, and machine vision.

The cornerstone of the success of artificial intelligence is talent. ABB has long supported the cultivation of AI innovation talents and industrial application talents, including collaborating with companies such as Google to organize Hackathons and partnering with the Chinese Society of Automation to host the ABB Cup Intelligent Technology Innovation Competition. In addition, ABB is actively expanding its industrial education series of robots to improve students' skill levels and win future competitive advantages.

Embracing the New Opportunities of China's AI Era Together

China positions artificial intelligence as a strategic technology leading the future, which is the core driving force of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and also the main battlefield for developing new quality productivity. As one of the earliest countries in the world to release an AI strategy, China has recently introduced a series of action plans and incentive plans to promote the cross-border integration and application of artificial intelligence in multiple fields, build AI industry clusters, deepen industrial revitalization, and accelerate the layout and development of the AI industry.

Strong policy guidance, coupled with strong market demand, diverse application scenarios, expanding computing infrastructure, and constantly enriching talent pool, jointly promote the significant progress of China's artificial intelligence industry. According to the authoritative report by CCID Consulting, China's artificial intelligence industry is expected to make significant progress in the next 10 to 15 years. It is estimated that by 2035. the industry scale will reach 1.73 trillion yuan, with a global share of 30.6%.