Ford says AI failed to match human expertise, rehires 350 engineers: 'Only as Good as its training'

American carmaker Ford has rehired around 350 experienced engineers after finding that its AI-driven quality control systems failed to meet expectations. The decision follows Ford's wider adoption of AI across its operations, aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency. However, the company concluded that automated systems were unable to match the judgment and practical experience gained by engineers over decades of vehicle development.

Ford admits it overlooked experienced engineers

Charles Poon, Ford's vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, said the company underestimated the value of its most experienced workforce while expanding its use of AI.

"Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it's only as good as the information you use to train it," Poon said, according to the BBC.

He added: “Over prior years, we didn't pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers who have been with us through many product cycles.”

According to Poon, many veteran engineers had already left the company before their expertise could be used to improve the AI systems. As a result, the automated tools lacked the practical knowledge and insights that come from years of hands-on experience.

“Mistakenly, we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting the design requirements that we had, that would produce a high-quality product,” he said.

Ford's wider AI strategy

The development comes after Ford's Chief Operating Officer, Kumar Galhotra, said last year that the company was "deploying AI across the entire industrial system".

As part of that strategy, Ford installed around 900 AI-powered cameras at its manufacturing facilities. The technology was introduced to detect production defects at an early stage and help reduce supply chain disruptions.

General Motors faces criticism over automation

While Ford has brought back experienced engineers, fellow American carmaker General Motors has faced criticism over its increasing use of automation.

Labour unions have criticised the company after it eliminated more than 1,000 jobs at its main Detroit assembly plant and introduced 50 robotic units to take over some manufacturing tasks.

General Motors said the robotic systems form part of its long-term automation strategy and are intended to strengthen competitiveness while improving workplace safety.

"We've been installing cobots across our manufacturing footprint as part of a broader push to bring more advanced technology into our operations," spokesman Kevin Kelly said.

"At Factory ZERO, we are implementing them alongside our team, helping improve safety and ergonomics, while keeping our operations flexible and competitive."