American car manufacturer Ford has rehired more than 300 experienced engineers for quality checks. The company concluded that artificial intelligence cannot fully replace human knowledge and experience.
In recent years, Ford has increasingly relied on artificial intelligence in its production. Among other uses, it employs cameras that detect defects in vehicles and help improve quality. According to company executives, technology has still not surpassed the assessments of specialists who have been working on vehicle development for years.
"Artificial intelligence is an excellent tool, but it is only as good as the data used in its training," said Charles Poon, Ford's vice president for vehicle hardware development.
Poon admitted that the company had underestimated the value of senior engineers in product development. The returned experts are now helping to train artificial intelligence systems. In addition, they have taken on the role of mentors to younger colleagues.
The return of experts coincided with Ford's rise to first place among major manufacturers in the J.D. Power initial quality study. Ford is at the top of that ranking for the first time since 2010. The improvement in the company is attributed to changes in leadership of the development, production and supply chain departments, as well as the return of a large number of experienced engineers.
