One of the more intriguing applications for AI in the industrial space was described by Siemens on Monday at CES 2025. The company makes products like digital twins to run many massive factories globally and has begun working with JetZero, which is developing an innovative Blended Wing commercial jet aircraft design to be put into service by 2030.
JetZero still has not built a factory or even officially said, yet, where it will be built, (an announcement is expected soon). It will work with Siemens on ideal ways to build the factory to be able to construct a large volume of the Blended Wing aircraft, said Tom O’Leary, CEO of JetZero in an onstage appearance with Siemens CTO Peter Keorte.
Blended Wing is a project with the US Airforce, NASA and the FAA to create an aircraft with half the fuel burn and emissions of today’s jets. A commercial design with a military variant is envisioned.
Blended Wing will rely on designs that use digital twin technology from Siemens. The digital twin will rely on AI to suggest design changes that could include recommending a working part that is much lighter but still strong enough for the job. Also, the digital twin approach will help with creating a factory with the best efficiencies for a major production schedule. Blended Wing itself is a new design that provides a “jump in efficiency” for aviation, O’Leary said.
Part of the advantage of working with Siemens is the accumulated data Siemens has gathered through the years to bring light to problems, Keorte said. Siemens engineers will use VR headsets from Sony to help work through design problems.
Koerte said Siemens capabilities with AI are a strong example of the direction of AI for industrial uses. “Is AI overhyped? Absolutely not." Siemens already relies on AI for lowering cooling costs in buildings by 30%, he said. “AI is a lot more than just hype.”