From task automation to true autonomy: The evolution of AI in industry

This chapter explores the journey from early image-recognition systems to today’s Agentic AI, showing how autonomy and coordination are reshaping industrial operations.

This chapter traces the evolution of industrial automation, from early process control systems to the transformative potential of Agentic AI. Beginning with the foundations of control in the energy and chemical industries, it explores milestones such as SCADA, Distributed Control Systems, Advanced Process Control, and the rise of digital twins. The narrative shows how each innovation improved efficiency, safety, and resilience, while also highlighting the conservative nature of these capital-intensive industries.

The chapter then examines how the convergence of digital twins, machine learning, and Agentic AI is pushing the frontier from automation to autonomy. It outlines opportunities in predictive maintenance, sustainability, and R&D acceleration, while addressing critical challenges such as cybersecurity, trust, explainability, and workforce transformation. By drawing parallels to disruptions in other industries, it positions Agentic AI as a catalyst for step changes in industrial operations, value creation, and sustainability.

Benefits of reading the book

• Gain a historical perspective on the progression of industrial automation and its impact on efficiency, safety, and performance.

• Understand the role of digital twins and Agentic AI in shaping the next wave of transformation.

• Discover practical applications—from predictive maintenance to autonomous operations—that are already creating measurable value.

• Learn how these technologies can drive both economic and sustainability outcomes in energy and chemical industries.

• Recognize the challenges of adoption, including data quality, cybersecurity, workforce reskilling, and trust in autonomous systems.

• Develop a forward-looking view of how Agentic AI could disrupt traditional business models, enabling new value streams and more resilient operations.

By the end of the chapter, readers will see not just where the industry has been, but where it is headed—and the pivotal role Agentic AI will play in defining that future.