As more companies integrate AI into their operations, a new survey suggests there is still a lot of work to do to win the trust of manufacturing professionals.
Commissioned by Rootstock Software, an ERP software company for manufacturers, and conducted by Researchscape, the 2026 State of AI in Manufacturing Survey polled 588 manufacturing professionals at organizations with 100 or more employees across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The results showed varying degrees of perceived progress. More than a quarter of professionals said they are already seeing results from AI integration, followed by 18 percent who said they are still in their initial pilot programs and 13 percent who said they have operational AI but no results.
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While these findings suggest AI is becoming more embedded in workplace processes, Rootstock said in a statement that companies must also consider how their employees feel about the technology.
“AI’s potential isn’t only about what the technology can do—it’s also about how well employees are set up to adopt it,” said Rootstock CEO Rick Berger.
Survey respondents expressed cautious optimistim about AI’s impact: 41 percent said they expect AI to make them more productive, while 61 percent said they are somewhat concerned AI could limit their career opportunities.
When asked for the most significant barrier to AI adoption, 44 percent said they are concerned about AI accuracy, its bias and the unpredictability of its outputs.
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