Ford rehires ‘gray beard’ engineers after AI falls short

Ford Motor Co. has rehired veteran engineers after its AI-powered quality checks failed to meet expectations, according to reports from TechCrunch^[1] and BBC^[2].

The US automaker adopted AI across some parts of its operations, including quality checks, but executives said the technology lacked the training and expertise of experienced technicians^[2]. Ford's AI-driven checks failed to live up to expectations, with Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, stating that the company 'didn't pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers'^[2]. The company has since reintroduced human workers to train its AI systems and mentor younger workers. Ford rehired over 300 'veteran' quality inspectors in recent years, according to Bloomberg^[2]. The move comes as Ford reported a return to the top of the JD Power Initial Quality Study among mainstream brands, a ranking it last held in 2010^[1]. Ford's COO Kumar Galhotra had previously stated that the company was 'deploying AI across the entire industrial system', including 900 AI-powered cameras in its plants^[2]. Despite the setback, Ford anticipates $1 billion in reduced costs this year^[1].