Honeywell and Google Cloud have collaborated to connect artificial intelligence (AI) agents with assets, people and processes to accelerate safer, autonomous operations for the industrial sector.
This partnership is designed to bring together the multimodality and natural-language capabilities of Gemini on Vertex AI—Google Cloud’s AI platform—and the massive data set on Honeywell Forge, an Internet of Things (IoT) platform for industrials. The first solutions built with Google Cloud AI will be available to Honeywell’s customers in 2025.
“The path to autonomy requires assets working harder, people working smarter and processes working more efficiently,” said Vimal Kapur, chairman and CEO of Honeywell. “By combining Google Cloud’s AI technology with our deep domain expertise, including valuable data on our Honeywell Forge platform, customers will receive unparalleled, actionable insights bridging the physical and digital worlds to accelerate autonomous operations, a key driver of Honeywell’s growth.”
Tathagata Basu, global head and general manager of what is now the sustainable fuels and chemicals vertical for Honeywell Process Solutions, talked about human-AI teaming during the 2024 Honeywell Users Group meeting in Dallas.
“Our partnership with Honeywell represents a significant step forward in bringing the transformative power of AI to industrial operations,” Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, added. “With Gemini on Vertex AI, combined with Honeywell’s industrial data and expertise, we’re creating new opportunities to optimize processes, empower workforces and drive meaningful business outcomes for industrial organizations worldwide.”
With the mass retirement of workers from the Baby-Boomer generation, the industrial sector faces both labor and skills shortages. Honeywell's Cesar Bravo, AI solutions director, discussed how AI can enhance worker expertise during the 2024 Honeywell Users Group meeting in Dallas.
More than two-thirds (82%) of industrial AI survey participants believe their companies are early adopters of AI, but only 17% have fully launched their initial AI plans, according to Honeywell’s 2024 Industrial AI Insights report.
Built on Google Cloud's Vertex AI Search and tailored to engineers’ specific needs, an AI-powered agent will help automate tasks and reduce project design cycles.
Google Threat Intelligence, featuring frontline insight from Mandiant, will be integrated into current Honeywell cybersecurity products, including Global Analysis, Research and Defense (GARD) Threat Intelligence and Secure Media Exchange (SMX).
Looking ahead, Honeywell will explore using Google’s Gemini Nano model to enhance Honeywell edge AI devices’ intelligence multiple use cases across verticals, ranging from scanning performance to voice-based guided workflow, maintenance, operational and alarm assist without the need to connect to the internet and cloud.