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Ford hired AI and sacked humans. It backfired badly
The Independent • • business
Key Points:
- Ford rehired over 350 experienced engineers, dubbed “gray beards,” after its AI-driven quality control systems failed and caused costly mistakes, leading to billions in losses.
- The veteran staff now lead quality reviews and help improve AI systems, addressing the shortcomings of automation in handling complex inspection tasks.
- Following the rehiring, Ford achieved its highest quality ranking in 16 years according to the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey, topping mainstream automotive brands.
- Despite ongoing quality challenges with older vehicles, Ford attributes these issues to previous automation errors rather than the return of human expertise.
- Ford plans to continue using AI but emphasizes combining it with human oversight and experience to enhance product quality, acknowledging past overreliance on AI without sufficient input from seasoned engineers.
