Application of Generative AI in Industry 5.0: A Fictional SME Case Study
摘要
Novel generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) tools are increasingly being introduced to the marketplace, offering new opportunities for manufacturing companies. Often, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) struggle to navigate the landscape of newly released software solutions due to a lack of AI competencies and limited resources for technology scouting. This qualitative research discusses a novel and fictional SME case study for combining multiple genAI tools to reduce the time-to-market of new products significantly. The case study covers ideation, computer-aided design (CAD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) as relevant manufacturing phases for SMEs engaged in New Product Development. Based on the case study, a critical discussion of Industry 5.0 benefits and barriers to using genAI in manufacturing is presented. Ultimately, the research contributes to fostering a culture of innovation by demonstrating a novel combination of genAI tools to support the design-for-manufacturing process. This can significantly decrease the time-to-market and improve the return-on-investment, competitive advantage, and potentially a transition towards Industry 5.0 if the barriers to genAI adoption are overcome.