I recently wrote a piece for Smart Industry about something I keep seeing out in the field. Companies are under pressure to “do something with AI,” but many are skipping a key step: getting buy-in from the teams who actually use it.
Check out the article here:
Here’s the gist: If your technicians don’t trust the system, they’re not going to follow its recommendations. And honestly, they’re often right not to. I’ve watched smart people ignore alerts because the data didn’t make sense, or worse, because they couldn’t tell where it came from.
My take? Building a unified data foundation (a single source of truth) should come first. It creates the shared operational reality and transparency your team needs to trust AI in the first place. That means your AI tools should be pulling from credible sources like OEM equipment manuals, standard operating procedures, and past performance records. That’s how you build real trust on the floor and help AI reach its full potential in your operation.
Discussion: What’s worked best at your organization when rolling out a new system to your frontline? How do you create trust in new technology, especially AI?
Do you bring in operators early? Show them the source of the data? Adjust things based on real-world input? I’d love to hear how others are approaching this. Join the conversation and share what’s worked in your organization.