Ford Recalls Humans After AI Quality Checks Fall Short

Ford is finding that when it comes to catching flaws on the assembly line, experience still beats algorithms. The automaker has brought back more than 300 seasoned quality inspectors after its AI-based checks didn't perform as hoped, Bloomberg reports. The company had rolled out hundreds of AI-enabled cameras and touted plans to spread the technology "across the entire industrial system" as Wall Street enthusiasm over AI surged. "Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it's only as good as the information you use to train it," said Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering.

"We didn't pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles," he added. Many of the workers had left before their expertise could shape the new tools, per the BBC; they're now being used both to train Ford's systems and mentor younger employees. Ford is celebrating its return to the top spot among mainstream brands in JD Power's Initial Quality Study for the first time since 2010, a turnaround it links to a "talent refresh" that included leadership changes and rehiring those veteran engineers.