On the sofa with... Silvia Leal, Experta en Tendencias de Futuro & Inteligencia Artificial | Asesora de OCDE & UE | Keynote Speaker

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING MADRID – You’re the keynote speaker for this edition of AM Madrid. What impact is artificial intelligence currently having on the manufacturing industry?

SILVIA LEAL – The impact of artificial intelligence on the manufacturing industry is not new because, in fact, it’s largely driving AI’s penetration into other sectors. And there are, for example, digital twins. So, right now, it’s very important for me to understand everything that’s coming, everything that still needs to be done, and to take advantage of the momentum.

AM – In your presentation, you talked about the future of AI. How do you think it will affect employment and professional profiles in the sector?

S.L – Right now, we’re seeing a growing tendency to think that artificial intelligence is going to take away our jobs, when the reality is that most reports, if not all, are false, because there’s always an alarmist one that’s primarily seeking notoriety. Official reports say that more jobs will be created than destroyed.

So, what’s going to happen to jobs? Tasks that humans are currently doing will be automated. But there are many other tasks that we will continue to do, and others that will emerge.

A.M.- What steps should Spanish companies take to better adapt to AI disruption?

S.L.- To adapt well to AI disruption, what you need to do is, first, understand what AI is and what it can do for you, and then look for the business case. What’s happening? Many companies still have this, and it’s happened with all technologies, that once a technology comes along and becomes fashionable, they say, “Come on, I’m going to do it because it’s what needs to be done, and what’s not right?” Look for the business case.

So the next step would be to first get informed, then train, and third, look for the business case, and wait until you have it.