Bosch Launches Generative AI Projects at Its Manufacturing Plants

Bosch is launching generative AI pilot projects at its manufacturing plants to reduce production times and improve efficiencies.

Initially, projects will be rolled out at two Bosch plants in Germany, where the company said generative AI will be used to create synthetic images to “develop and scale AI solutions” for optical inspection and optimize existing AI models. 

The project is expected to reduce the time needed to roll out AI applications at operations, from the current six to 12 months to just a few weeks. 

Based on the success of the projects, the service of generating synthetic data will then be rolled out at all Bosch locations.

“AI has excellent potential for innovation and can make human work even more productive,” said Stefan Hartung, Bosch’s chairman of the board of management. “As a manufacturing company, established factory outfitter, and Industry 4.0 trendsetter, Bosch aims to play a leading role in the development and application of industrial AI.”

Bosch already uses AI in production scheduling, monitoring, and control at its plant in Hildesheim,  as well as for reducing component-testing processes at its plant in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. 

The Bosch research team has also developed an AI-based system that identifies anomalies and malfunctions in the manufacturing process. This software is currently in use in around 50 Bosch plants, with more than 2,000 production lines connected. 

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More than 20 of its plants also use Machine Vision AI, a solution designed by Bosch to detect surface-level imperfections such as scratches and chips.

“With generative AI, we’re now taking the next step in the evolution of artificial intelligence and advancing modern manufacturing to a new level,” said Tanja Rueckert, Bosch’s chief digital officer. “In our work to develop AI solutions, we’re unlocking the potential offered by the Bosch manufacturing network and its roughly 230 plants. 

“Bosch has been digitalizing and connecting its own plants and those of its customers for more than ten years. Now we’re combining Industry 4.0 with artificial intelligence: connected manufacturing provides data and AI evaluates it. The use of AI will make factories more efficient, more productive and more eco-friendly.”