Industry 5.0, AI and India: Schneider Electric’s Barbara Frei on making factories smarter

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now expected to drive the next industrial revolution. Factories already have sufficient automation, but AI-driven manufacturing can soon bring about significant changes and has taken centre stage in the Industry 5.0 era. Unlike Industry 4.0, which focused on automation, connectivity, and data-driven decision-making, Industry 5.0 integrates human intelligence with advanced technologies such as AI, robotics, and open automation—fostering more agile, adaptive, and sustainable industrial ecosystems.

Barbara Frei, EVP – Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, in a freewheeling conversation with Debashis Sarkar, shares crucial insights on the next industrial revolution. Excerpts.