MES and the Physical AI Revolution

The conversation around AI (artificial intelligence) has long been rooted in the digital world—algorithms, dashboards, and predictive models. But as John Reed, general manager, manufacturing and mobility, Asia, Microsoft, and Matt Hatton, founding partner, Transforma Insights, both explained to me in March on my podcast The Peggy Smedley Show, the real transformation is happening at the intersection of digital and physical.

This is where “physical AI” emerges: intelligence that doesn’t just live in software, but lives in the environment around us. In industries like construction and manufacturing, that leap will be essential as we move forward.

Yet for process and discrete manufacturing, that leap cannot happen in isolation. It requires a system that can translate digital intelligence into realtime, actionable control. Consider this: MES (manufacturing execution systems) are uniquely positioned to provide the visibility, control, and traceability required to safely automate physical operations. It acts as the decisionmaking ...