107744807 © Ekkasit919 | Dreamstime.com
Industry 4.0 concept

The Robots Are Ready; Are We?

May 15, 2025
AI dominated the conversation at Automate 2025 this week and, unsurprisingly, our editors have a few thoughts on the subject.

From the factory floor to office tools, artificial intelligence (AI) is being woven into nearly every product and process. Companies are racing to embrace it, and the line between hype and genuine innovation is getting blurrier by the day.

At Automate, a trade show for industrial automation in Detroit this week, there was plenty of real talk about where things are headed. Yes, we’re still human, but it’s clear we’re building a future where intelligent machines are not just tools, they are collaborators.

It’s not fear that’s driving this moment. It’s curiosity. It’s optimism. Maybe even a little awe.

In the latest episode of IndustryWeek’s Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, several Endeavor Business Media editors took a break from the show floor just long enough to reflect on what it means to work hand-in-servo with AI, not just around it:

Mike Bacidore, Editor-in-Chief of Control Design

Rehana Begg, Editor-in-Chief of Machine Design

Robert Schoenberger, Editor-in-Chief of IndustryWeek and Editorial Director of Endeavor Business Media's Manufacturing Group

Sharon Spielman, Technical Editor for Machine Design

Linda Wilson, Editor-in-Chief of Vision Systems Design

For more show coverage, be sure to check out Machine Design’s Automate 2025 content hub.

About the Author

Sharon Spielman | Technical Editor, Machine Design

As Machine Design’s technical editor, Sharon Spielman produces content for the brand’s focus audience—design and multidisciplinary engineers. Her beat includes 3D printing/CAD; mechanical and motion systems, with an emphasis on pneumatics and linear motion; automation; robotics; and CNC machining.

Spielman has more than three decades of experience as a writer and editor for a range of B2B brands, including those that cover machine design; electrical design and manufacturing; interconnection technology; food and beverage manufacturing; process heating and cooling; finishing; and package converting.

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @sharonspielman

X: @MachineDesign

Facebook: Machine Design

YouTube: @MachineDesign-EBM

Sponsored Recommendations

June 24, 2025
When a leading material handling equipment supplier needed a specialized drive solution, Parvalux delivered a custom motor and gearbox combination engineered to meet their exact...
June 24, 2025
Ideal for companies with large quantities of pallets and trays, automated shuttles are driven by electric motors along rails inside warehouses to maximize capacity and create ...
June 24, 2025
Conveyors can be a cornerstone of modern industrial operations, alleviating the burden on workers and increasing efficiency. Choosing the right set-up ensures an effective, productive...
June 24, 2025
Using conveyor belts, in-line weighing, dimensioning and label application technology, sorting systems efficiently direct packages and letters to designated locations for distribution...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!