Artificial Intelligence. Opportunities in the Ceramics Industry
Panel Debate
Artificial intelligence systems based on convolutional networks are firmly established and in constant development, bringing great productivity to industry in specialized areas such as defect prediction or maintenance planning. New AGI (generalist AI) has recently become popular with the arrival of ChatGPT in November 2022, opening the door to more strategic and generalist fields in the enterprise domain.
In this session, an exercise will be carried out to identify the processes for which the ceramic sector could collaboratively develop the neural networks that would bring the greatest benefit in a first phase. In addition, it will outline the foreseeable steps necessary for their implementation, such as training in companies, ensuring the ability to differentiate products and services. We are faced with the opportunity to literally redefine the way we work in all departments of companies and we must face the crucial dilemma of choosing to install “human-empowering AI” systems or forgo that path and install surrogate AIs. Exciting content and a meeting point for those seeking to understand and lead the transformation of the ceramic industry in the age of AI.
Sebastian J. Brau is considered one of the greatest Ai & Industry 4.0 experts in in the world. Software Engineer specialized in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Author of several bestsellers on Lean Manufacturing 4.0 and renowned speaker in this field. President of the International Artificial Intelligence Association for Human Empowerment “AiForHuman.org”, Permanent Member of the Expert Committee of the European Initiative 4.0, Ai Architect and Global Director of Implementations for several American Ai companies as iLEAN Industrial Systems and Ai Board advisor for some of the biggest industrial companies globally. Passionate writer in the industrial world and authentic activist of the Artificial Intelligence trend that advocates for the Empowerment of Humans in the plant and NOT for its Replacement. He is recognized within the international Ai community of experts as the most experienced man in the Ai & Industry 4.0; with a history of more than 20 years in the sector and hundreds of projects directed at companies such as Volkswagen, Ford, Daimler, GM, Nissan, Airbus, Cemex, Walmart, CocaCola, Nestle, Bayer, etc.
Dr. Jay Lee, Professor Emeritus at the University of Cincinnati, has held prominent roles as Ohio Eminent Scholar and Univ. Distinguished Professor. As Founding Director of the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) on Intelligent Maintenance Systems, he has led partnerships with over 100 global companies and was highlighted as the most economically impactful I/UCRC according to NSF in 2012. He has mentored students and created start-ups such as Predictronics, introducing the Dominant Innovation® methodology. During 2019-2021, he has led the development of Foxconn Wisconsin Science Park and advised Foxconn, winning six WEF Lighthouse Factory awards.
A member of WEF’s Global Future Council and NAM’s Board of Governors, Dr. Lee is a former Director of Product Development and Manufacturing at United Technologies Research Center and Program Director at NSF. Recognized in the industry, he has been selected as a Visionary in Smart Manufacturing by SME in 2016 and one of the Most Influential Professors in 2020. He has received awards from SME in 2022 and has published a book on industrial AI in 2020 with Springer.
Juan Boix is a chemical engineer with more than two decades of experience in process engineering and specialization in ceramic materials. He is currently responsible for the industrial processes area at the Institute of Ceramic Technology, where he has worked since 2002. His focus is on instrumentation, automation and optimization of manufacturing processes, especially in ceramic tile production.
Throughout his career, he has participated in more than 50 research and development projects, both publicly funded and privately funded. He has contributed to the publication of 30 scientific papers on ceramic materials processing and has been a speaker at 15 scientific conferences. Juan leads projects focused on data analytics and advanced analysis techniques to improve decision making in ceramic manufacturing. His commitment to innovation and his deep technical knowledge make him an influential expert in the advancement of the ceramic industry.
Guaita has a degree in Chemical Sciences, training that he later complemented with an Executive-MBA in Business Management, both from the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón.
During his professional career in this group, for more than 24 years, he has played significant roles in different departments, including Logistics, Information Systems and, most notably, in the Innovation area. Although throughout his career, he has focused mainly on the development and management of projects and especially R&D projects, where his participation has been remarkable in more than 40 national and 10 European projects, playing a leading role as coordinator in 3 of the latter. All this has led him to be co-author of 3 patents and several scientific articles, as well as actively participating in various technology platforms.
In addition to his vocation for innovation and commitment to sustainability in the industrial field, Guaita also devotes part of his time to the training of future professionals as a professor in the Master of Industrial Process Management at the Universitat Jaume I.
