As technology evolves, the integration of AI into industrial processes is expected to grow. Today, some of its key applications include manufacturing, the energy sector, construction, and telecommunications, where AI is used to automate processes, optimise supply chains, manage resources, enable predictive maintenance, and streamline project management, among other crucial functions.
Driving these developments and enabling new efficiencies are several technologies, each playing a critical role in powering the next generation of Industrial AI. Here we examine five of the key developments shaping its future.
1. Natural Language Processing (NLP)
A branch of AI that enables computers to understand, create, and manipulate human language, the integration of NLP into industrial processes is revolutionising operational efficiency. Today, NLP occupies a critical role in numerous industrial processes, including human/machine communication and collaboration, predictive maintenance, and decision-making by providing actionable insights derived from historical data.
Paving the way in Industrial AI NLP is Huawei. With its recent release of Pangu Models 5.5, which boasts a comprehensive upgrade of its NLP, Computer Vision, Multimodal, Prediction, and Scientific Computing Models, Huawei is revolutionising Industrial AI applications.
Pangu NLP is a new deep-thinking model with 718 billion parameters based on Mixture of Experts (MoE) technology. This model leverages DeepDiver, providing advanced search capabilities to support enterprises in solving complex problems requiring information collection from multiple dimensions and rounds of analysis and integration. Consequently, it delivers professional instructions rather than simple conversations, offering AI technical support for scenarios such as customer services and creative marketing.
2. Multimodal Models
Multimodal AI processes, integrates, and analyses images, sounds, and text simultaneously to perform tasks that single-modality AI cannot achieve, delivering a more comprehensive understanding of data. This technology is emerging as a favoured tool for the information-rich industrial sector, where assessment and decision-making require a broad variety of signals, often rendering a single language model insufficient.
In response to this growing need, Huawei Cloud has recently released the Pangu World Model, which constructs digital spaces for training intelligent driving systems and embodied AI robots while supporting continuous optimisation and iterations. The introduction of technologies like a 4D interaction space establishes Pangu as the industry’s first AI model capable of simultaneously generating point clouds and videos.
In the realm of simulation, Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) and Huawei have collaborated closely. Leveraging the Pangu multimodal large model, complex scenario corner cases can now be reproduced within minutes, enabling rapid two-day iterations.
3. Computer Vision (CV)
Positioned at the forefront of manufacturing’s technological transformation, computer vision uses image analysis and visual data to streamline operations across various applications, improving quality control, predictive maintenance, and safety.
The upgraded Pangu CV model from Huawei is anything but ordinary; it enables high-reliability perception and intelligent decision-making, addressing challenges in sectors like oil and gas, transportation, coal mining, and electric power. Based on a Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture, this new model boasts up to 30 billion parameters, making it the largest CV model in the industry to date, capable of perceiving and analyzing general and infrared images, laser point clouds, and light spectrum.
4. Predictive Models
Predictive models in AI analyze patterns in historical data, linking those patterns to future outcomes. In industrial environments, this translates to a reduction in machinery downtime and prolonged equipment life, enabled by sensors that track and assess performance metrics to detect subtle changes indicating potential failures.
By exploring production data to uncover inefficiencies and optimize workflows, predictive models can also provide intelligent solutions to manufacturing complexities such as bottlenecks. With AI’s capabilities, these models can forecast potential slowdowns by examining machine performance, staffing levels, and material availability.
Huawei’s enhanced Pangu Prediction Model offers more accurate forecasts and better adaptations to various industries and scenarios, including sales, finance, and process indicators. Utilizing the industry’s first triplet transformer architecture for unified pre-training, the model proficiently encodes, processes, and pre-trains data across different sectors within the same framework.
5. Scientific Computing Model
Huawei Cloud is continuously deepening its Pangu Scientific Computing Model, broadening its applications across diverse scientific fields. For instance, the Meteorological Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality has recently upgraded its Zhiji Model based on Pangu, allowing for regional ensemble forecasts that more accurately reflect changes in weather systems.
Similarly, the Chongqing Meteorological Service has built its Tianzi 12-hour Weather Forecast Model based on Pangu to enhance daily forecasting and extreme weather warnings—common in the area. Meanwhile, Shenzhen Energy Group employs Pangu to predict short- and mid-term wind and solar energy yields, enabling it to adjust power generation more agilely, thus improving energy development efficiency.
Leaders in the AI Evolution
Launched in 2020, Huawei Cloud has been consistently evolving and upgrading its Pangu Model over the past five years. Its focus on industry-facing applications has enabled customers to tackle significant challenges while reimagining operations and efficiencies. This ongoing evolution has established Huawei as a prominent player in the AI arena.
According to Frost & Sullivan’s Chinese Industry Model Market Report 2024, Huawei’s Pangu models ranked highest in government, industry, and finance sectors by market share, landing them within the Leader quadrant for healthcare, pharmaceutical, meteorology, and automotive sectors. Last year, Pangu Models were applied in over 500 scenarios across more than 30 industries.
To find out how Pangu can help tackle your industry’s pressing challenges, explore Huawei Cloud further at https://www.huaweicloud.com/intl/en-us/.