NTT DATA, a provider of digital business and technology services, released a report April 30 based on interviews with more than 500 manufacturing leaders and decision makers in 34 countries, regarding their use of AI. 

Respondents said their most frequent use cases are supply chain and inventory management; knowledge management; quality control; research and development; and process automation.

Ninety-five percent of respondents said GenAI is already directly improving efficiency and bottom-line performance, with 94% saying they expect the integration of Internet of Things (i.e., IoT/edge) data into GenAI models will significantly improve the accuracy and relevance of AI-generated outputs. Further, 91% said combining digital twins and GenAI will improve both the performance of physical assets and supply chain resilience.

“AI is streamlining processes and redefining what’s possible across the entire manufacturing value chain, from supply chain predictions to quality control,” said Prasoon Saxena, co-lead, products industries, NTT DATA, Inc. “GenAI can help organizations achieve flexibility in fast-changing business environments, especially in the face of uncertain tariff policies worldwide.”

The report — "Feet on the Floor, Eyes on AI: Do you have a plan or a problem?" — also uncovers significant challenges related to workforce and infrastructure readiness as well as ethical frameworks for governance.

In particular, 92% of manufacturers said old technologies hinder vital initiatives, but less than half have conducted a full infrastructure readiness assessment.