A giant under pressure, a train that cannot be missed, and an AI that offers no magic solution. These three tensions set the scene for this session.
Session Objective
The session aims to distinguish genuine business opportunities from technological hype by identifying where artificial intelligence can deliver measurable improvements in key business indicators—including margins, waste reduction, energy consumption, lead times, and conversion rates—and where it may simply conceal underlying problems or introduce unnecessary risks.
The goal is to provide the ceramics industry with an actionable roadmap, moving beyond aspirational discussions towards practical implementation and measurable results.
Why This Panel Debate?
The Moment
The ceramics industry is facing the greatest cost pressure in its history at the same time as one of its most significant technological opportunities.
Companies that can transform scattered data into effective operational decisions will protect and increase their margins. Those that cannot risk falling behind.
The Evolution
AI is not simply another decorative digital layer. When applied effectively, it runs across the entire organisation:
Leadership → Product → Manufacturing → Market → Margin
It can create value at every level—from executive decision-making and technical operations to logistics and sales.
The main challenge is no longer technological. It is understanding where and how AI should be applied to generate real business value.
The Proposal
The session proposes a shift from showcase AI to productive AI: every opportunity must be linked to a measurable outcome, and every promise must be assessed alongside its risks.
This will not be a panel of five voices saying the same thing. It will be a genuine debate, bringing together contrasting perspectives on the opportunities, limitations, and consequences of AI adoption.
Why This Matters
Artificial intelligence has moved beyond technological promise to become a decisive driver of industrial competitiveness. However, most companies still use AI for low-impact applications, while solutions capable of transforming productivity, efficiency, and decision-making remain the exception.
The gap between experimenting with AI and achieving measurable business results will define competitiveness over the coming decade.
Growing pressure on costs, energy, sustainability, and productivity demands a new way of approaching artificial intelligence—not as a standalone tool, but as a cross-functional capability connecting leadership, product development, manufacturing, and the market.
The real question is no longer whether companies should adopt AI, but:
Where should it be applied?
How should its impact be measured?
Which risks are worth taking?
What capabilities are required to implement it successfully?
Key Themes
The session will explore the major debates shaping AI adoption in the ceramics industry:
Digital enterprise versus data-driven enterprise
Measurable ROI versus technology hype
On-premises versus cloud-based AI
Data governance and cybersecurity
Talent, skills, and the future of employment
Lessons learned from real-world implementations
Ultimately, the discussion will focus on how the ceramics industry can move from isolated AI experiments to scalable solutions that improve operational performance, strengthen competitiveness, and create measurable business value.
