From Copilots to Agentic AI in Manufacturing — with Lina Huertas

Welcome to the Trend Detection podcast, brought to you by Senseye Predictive Maintenance – which gives you visibility and insights into all your assets, from single machines to full plants to help you reduce downtime, increase knowledge sharing and accelerate digital transformation across your organization.In this episode, we’re joined by Lina Huertas, Industry Executive for Manufacturing at Microsoft UK, to explore how generative AI, copilots, and agentic AI are reshaping digital manufacturing — not just speeding up tasks, but changing how work is designed, delivered, and governed.We unpack the difference between copilots (which assist and enhance human work) and AI agents (which can complete tasks end‑to‑end within defined boundaries), and what this shift could mean across the shop floor, engineering, and back office.You’ll learn:How copilots and agentic AI differ — and why that matters for manufacturing workflows and roles.How organisations are thinking about moving from assistance to more end‑to‑end task execution (with human oversight and clear boundaries). Why human–AI collaboration is becoming a core capability, with work shifting toward supervision, decision‑making, leadership, and critical thinking.The key barriers to scaling AI in manufacturing: data silos, fragmented systems, shadow IT, and organisational structure.The skills manufacturers (and individuals) need next: hands‑on AI literacy, “learning how to learn,” and leading in a workforce that increasingly includes AI systems.You can find out more about how Senseye Predictive Maintenance can reduce unplanned downtime and contribute towards improved sustainability within your manufacturing plants, by visiting: www.siemens.com/senseye-predictive-maintenanceConnect with Lina on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/linaahuertas/