Manufacturing Weekly AI News
February 16 - February 24, 2026Manufacturing is getting smarter thanks to agentic AI, which are artificial intelligence systems that can think and make decisions on their own. This week's big technology show called CES 2026 showed how physical AI and robots are changing factories and workplaces around the world. Companies like Siemens created new software called Digital Twin Composer that helps manufacturers test ideas before making real changes. These smart systems can handle complex jobs like growing special diamonds used in computer chips or managing chemical reactions in factories. Instead of people telling machines exactly what to do, agentic AI learns from data and adjusts itself to solve problems faster and better. In the chemicals industry, companies are using AI agents that work like super scientists—they can read thousands of research papers and lab notes to help discover new materials. Another exciting example is ChemLex, a company that built robots that work like a chemist's hands while AI acts as the brain, deciding what experiments to run next. The main reason factories are using agentic AI is because it helps them work faster, use fewer resources, and find problems before they happen. These new technologies are helping manufacturers in every country compete better and make their businesses safer and cleaner.