A report by Accenture says the aerospace and defence industries will be more affected by artificial intelligence (AI) than by any other emerging technology over the next three years
The annual report, Aerospace & Defence Technology Vision 2019, predicts key technology trends likely to redefine business, and underscores the growing importance of reskilling programs as a competitive lever.
It says AI – which comprises technologies including machine-learning and natural language processing – enables machines to sense, comprehend, act and learn in order to extend human capabilities. One-third of aerospace and defence executives surveyed cited AI as the technology that will have the greatest impact on their organisation over the next three years – more than quantum computing, distributed ledger or extended reality.
It also found that two-thirds of executives said they have either adopted AI within their business or are already piloting the technology, and says the benefits of AI for industry includes enabling predictive analytics for maintenance; facilitating smart manufacturing with connected devices that provide real-time information to workers on the shop floor; providing advanced automation that enables the workforce to offload repetitive tasks; and enhancing real-time responses to customer issues and complaints.
“AI has the potential to be a major growth driver for the A&D industry,” Aerospace and Defence Lead for Accenture Australia, Paul Mylon said in a release. “However, AI technology is advancing faster than the pace at which many Australian companies are adopting it. A&D executives need to clearly define a strategy on how to scale solutions and tie this together with the objectives of the business.”
The reports data comes from responses from 113 aerospace and defence executives that were surveyed by Accenture. The research process is developed annually by the Accenture Labs and Accenture Research, included gathering input from the Technology Vision External Advisory Board, a group comprising more than two dozen experienced individuals from the public and private sectors, academia, venture capital firms and entrepreneurial companies.
The full report can be found here.