The Next Wave of Industry 4.0
For years, manufacturers have been told the future of Industry 4.0 lives in the cloud. Cloud-first AI may be powerful, but for many manufacturers, it’s too disruptive, too risky, or simply incompatible with day-to-day requirements on the shop floor. As we head into 2026, we’re seeing an inflection point. Manufacturers are embracing a new model of AI: lightweight, on-premise agents that integrate directly with existing systems rather than replacing them. These systems don’t require a rip-and-replace strategy or a costly cloud migration. Instead, they work with what’s already there. It’s a more grounded, incremental approach that aligns with how factories actually operate and how leaders actually make decisions. This shift is happening for three reasons at: The Next Wave of Industry 4.0 | Quality Digest