A human-AI hybrid approach offers a pragmatic path forward for machine builders
Amid concerns about AI replacing human jobs and processes, it’s important to remember how crucial stability and predictability are in industrial control, with validation and traceability outweighing flashy new technology.
Bill Mueller, a guest columnist for Automation World, draws from personal experience to elaborate this point, recalling the challenges of PID tuning during a late-night commissioning session and highlighting how foundational and time-tested these control strategies are.
Mueller’s message is clear: replacing the PID loop isn’t practical, but augmenting it with AI-driven insights is both feasible and beneficial.
AI should not be used as a replacement, but rather as a digital assistant that can enhance process performance and efficiency without compromising regulatory requirements. Controls engineers will find value in the examples of AI-powered software that suggests tuning tweaks, manages alarm rationalization (ISA 18.2), streamlines documentation and supports validation testing.
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