Aerospace and defence organisations are moving beyond the early hype surrounding artificial intelligence as they seek trusted industrial applications that can improve productivity without introducing additional programme risk.
Speaking to Aerospace Global News at the Farnborough International Airshow, John Turnbull of Dassault Systèmes said companies had spent the past two to three years exploring the potential of AI. Attention is now shifting towards how the technology can be integrated into established engineering environments and used reliably on complex, safety-critical programmes.
“Everybody’s talking about AI,” Turnbull said. “Everybody’s looked at AI tools for the last two to three years, and I think everybody is coming to the conclusion that some of the miracles that might have been hoped for are not as present as they were.”
Turning AI into an industrial tool
For aerospace and defence, Turnbull argued, industrial AI must be more than an additional layer of technology. Its value comes from combining AI with model-based systems engineering, cyber systems and existing product lifecycle management capabilities.
This integration can help engineers manage increasingly complex programmes while controlling cost, timescales and technical risk. It could also support defence organisations seeking to accelerate acquisition without compromising the assurance required for mission-critical systems.
Turnbull described engineers as becoming “orchestrators of the industrial engineering process”, using integrated digital tools to remove barriers to productivity and help turn previously impractical ideas into
However, speed alone is not enough. Aerospace technologies must work reliably and, where required, meet demanding certification standards.
“It’s not a toy. It has to be certified technology,” Turnbull said.
Dassault Systèmes believes virtual twin technology can help organisations meet that challenge by allowing products and systems to be designed, tested and evaluated digitally before physical production begins. This can give engineers greater visibility across the programme and allow potential problems to be identified earlier.
Virtual twins return to the spotlight
Turnbull said discussions at Farnborough were focused on two closely connected areas: modernising existing product lifecycle management systems and establishing practical applications for AI.
Customers are revisiting how virtual twins could improve the productivity and efficiency of current engineering processes, rather than treating AI as a standalone solution.
Dassault Systèmes has deep roots in aerospace and defence. Its software was used in the development of the Boeing 777, which Turnbull described as the first aircraft to be fully prototyped in software before it was built.
The same virtual twin principles have since been applied across sectors including automotive manufacturing and life sciences.
For aerospace and defence companies, the central question is now how those established digital capabilities can be combined with the latest generation of AI tools to accelerate innovation while retaining trust, traceability and control.
Watch the full interview above to hear more from Dassault Systèmes at the Farnborough International Airshow.
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Aion & TechnologyMost ReadTrending ArticlesArtificial IntelligenceDassault SystèmesDigital twins
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