Ford rehires ‘gray beard’ engineers after AI falls short

In a bold move to address recent shortcomings in quality control, Ford has brought on board 350 seasoned engineers, many of whom are returning to the company. These experienced professionals, some of whom previously worked for suppliers, are stepping in after the company's increased reliance on artificial intelligence and automated systems did not yield the expected results. Kumar Galhotra, Ford's chief operating officer, shared insights with the press, stating that the company had placed considerable trust in automated quality systems, which ultimately fell short. In response, Ford has decided to reintegrate technical specialists who are tasked with identifying potential failures before components even reach the assembly line. Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, acknowledged the miscalculation in Ford's approach. "We mistakenly thought that simply implementing AI and incorporating design requirements would automatically result in a high-quality product," he remarked. However, this initiative is not an indication that Ford is abandoning its AI efforts. Instead, the company aims to leverage the expertise of these veteran engineers—often referred to as 'gray beard' engineers—to mentor younger staff and refine AI applications. The strategy appears to be yielding positive outcomes, with projections indicating a potential $1 billion reduction in costs this year. Additionally, Ford has achieved recognition as the leading brand among mainstream manufacturers in the latest JD Power Initial Quality Survey, released just this week.