Ford revealed that the company has rehired hundreds of experienced engineers and quality inspectors after an artificial intelligence (AI) system failed to meet expected inspection standards.
Previously, Ford expanded the use of AI in various operations including quality inspection, hoping that the technology could reduce costs and improve production efficiency.
However, according to Bloomberg, more than 300 veteran quality inspectors have been rehired over the past few years to overcome the shortcomings of automated systems that are unable to match human expertise.
Ford’s Vice President of Vehicle Hardware Engineering, Charles Poon, said AI is only effective if trained using quality data and experience.
He admitted that the company had previously underutilized the knowledge of experienced engineers who had gone through various product development cycles.
Ford had previously actively utilized AI in its production operations. In fact, the company installed about 900 AI-powered cameras at the factory to detect quality problems early and reduce disruptions in the supply chain.
However, Poon admitted that the AI-based inspection system did not meet expectations. Ford initially thought that using AI alone would be enough to produce high-quality products, but the reality is that the technology still requires human experience and expertise.
He explained that many veteran technicians have left the company before their knowledge can be used to train the AI system. Therefore, Ford is now bringing them back not only to train the technology, but also to mentor a new generation of engineers.
According to Ford, human experience still plays a key role in improving automation, machine learning and AI systems to produce more accurate decisions.
The admission was made as Ford celebrated its success in returning to the top of an industry benchmark index that measures vehicle quality, thus showing that the combination of technology and human expertise is still a key factor in ensuring product quality.
