Manufacturing's Next Advantage is Hiding in Plain Sight

Manufacturers have started the agentic AI journey, but few trust where it's taking them. That's according to our global MIT Technology Review Insights survey of 300 senior technology executives. This industry analysis breaks down where manufacturing stands, and what's standing between intent and capability.

Inside, you'll find four insights:

• Priority and trust don't match up. Over 70% of manufacturers rank digital transformation a high priority, but almost none trust their ability to act on the data behind it.

• Leaders share four behaviors and run them together. Real-time decisions, OT/IT alignment, business outcomes, and incremental rollout only pay off as one system, not four separate initiatives.

• The OT and IT divide is the real barrier. The factory floor and the business systems still speak different languages. That's where data-driven decisions stall before they start.

• Transformation happens in five stages, not one leap. From monitoring to full autonomy, manufacturers can capture value at every stage without betting on a single big deployment.