Roland Busch's mission: how Siemens is automating the real world with AI

Roland Busch's Mission: How Siemens Is Automating the Real World with AI

Siemens — a conglomerate with a workforce of about 320,000 employees worldwide — is rolling out a strategy built around "industrial AI agents": systems trained not on publicly available internet data, but on the closed, specialized data of the production facilities themselves. According to company CEO Roland Busch, this is precisely what should rule out the risk of misinformation and "hallucinations" typical of more general AI models when managing real production capacity. In his view, amid a global demographic crisis — an aging population and a shortage of skilled workers — total automation is becoming not an option but the only viable response.

Industrial AI Agents Instead of Hallucinating Models

Siemens has long moved beyond manufacturing equipment and now provides customers with comprehensive solutions — from design and engineering to production and logistics management. Busch describes "industrial AI agents" as the next step in the evolution of automation: moving from performing routine operations to making complex management decisions. The key difference from general-purpose language models is training on the confidential data of client companies. According to Siemens, this ensures that the agents operate strictly within the production needs and constraints of a specific plant, avoiding errors caused by insufficient awareness or misinterpretation of generic data — in other words, avoiding the very "hallucinations" that plague more general AI systems when handling narrowly specialized tasks.

Digital Twins and NVIDIA Technology

To train robots and production systems, Siemens uses photorealistic digital twins built with NVIDIA technology. The virtual environment allows engineers to debug control algorithms, optimize processes, and train AI agents under conditions as close to real as possible — without the risk of halting production or damaging expensive equipment. This speeds up the rollout of innovations and reduces costs at the testing stage of new technologies. According to Busch, the company is striving for "smooth, seamless, optimal operation" of production systems — a scenario in which all processes are perfectly synchronized and the ability to adapt and learn quickly becomes a key tool for overcoming labor shortages.

Geopolitics and Adapting to Key Markets

Siemens is a major player in the global economy and a contractor in the defense sector, so it must factor in a complex geopolitical environment: persistent tensions, trade barriers, and questions about a possible weakening of international alliances. Despite this, the company aims to maintain its global reach by adapting its software and solutions to the specific requirements and regulatory standards of key markets — the US, China, and Europe. The total automation that Busch is promoting inevitably raises questions about the future of human labor: it could reduce the need for certain categories of workers and transform the nature of work for those who remain — while Siemens insists on its commitment to the principles of globalization and its readiness to adapt to the unique economic and social conditions of each market.

Busch's interview was reported by The Verge as part of the Decoder podcast.

What Are Siemens' "Industrial AI Agents"?

These are AI systems that Siemens trains on the closed, specialized data of specific production facilities rather than on publicly available internet data. This approach is meant to rule out the risk of misinformation and "hallucinations" typical of more general AI models, and to allow the agents to manage production capacity by making not only routine but also complex management decisions.

Why Does Siemens Use Digital Twins and NVIDIA Technology?

Photorealistic digital twins built with NVIDIA technology allow Siemens to train robots and production systems in a virtual environment before they are deployed in real production chains. This makes it possible to test control algorithms and optimize processes without the risk of halting production or damaging equipment, speeding up the rollout of innovations and cutting costs.

Why

Does Roland Busch See Automation as a Necessity Rather Than a Choice?

Busch links this to the global demographic crisis — an aging population and a shortage of skilled workers, which is leaving industry short of labor. In his logic, total automation becomes the only viable response to this challenge, even though it also raises questions about the future of human labor and the transformation of the job market.