This time, things are moving quickly toward a concrete outcome

With artificial intelligence, things work differently. Ever since large language models became accessible to everyone in late 2022, no one has had to explain why it’s beneficial for computers to develop a certain degree of creativity. And already, there are applications that don’t just present perspectives in presentation slides, but solve very concrete industrial tasks. Dürr wants to put one of its perhaps most valuable assets to use: the experience gained from thousands of completed projects. This knowledge is embedded in technical specifications, project documentation—and, above all, in the minds of experienced engineers. You can read more about the RoX research project in mo 5 2026, starting on page 16.

Things get even more practical with the robot system that Sehon demonstrated to users (page 18). The demonstration featured geometrically complex components that were scanned and painted—without any manual programming. For applications where the programming effort has so far outweighed the benefits, this could herald a new era. After all, if a system can handle a complex automotive bumper, applications in general industry will naturally follow.

AI takes on yet another completely different form in the article by ai-quanton and Akemi (page 22). An optical measurement system analyzes the properties of individual droplets in a spray jet. An unsupervised machine learning method detects changes in paint composition within a multidimensional dataset—and does not require any pre-classified training data to do so. This makes AI a low-maintenance tool for real-time process monitoring.

Perhaps this is precisely where the key difference from Industry 4.0 lies. To benefit from AI, it is not necessary to first convert the entire factory into a fully networked smart factory. AI can target a very specific bottleneck, and the benefits become apparent much more quickly as a result.

In line with this, even the Industry 4.0 platform has since realigned itself and will, for the first time in 2026, place “Industrial AI” at the center of its focus. At the same time, regulation has caught up with the technology. Since August 2, additional key provisions of the European AI Act have taken effect, and its enforcement has begun. We must not give up hope that policymakers and authorities will learn from past experiences—despite contrary evidence—and create legal certainty for the industry—but we must also not forget to maintain the flexibility needed to avoid losing further ground in global competition.

From bulk material cleaning with laser technology (page 42) to the switch to a single-coat paint system at a construction equipment manufacturer, this issue features many other exciting topics. Very concrete solutions instead of lofty, future-oriented buzzwords—that is a common thread running through many of the articles in this issue.