While AI and automation seem to be the biggest trends in the industry, Intrinsic Chief Technology Officer Brian Gerkey recently shared a striking statistic: 80% of U.S. manufacturing facilities have zero automation.
In spite of discussion about the potential benefits of this technology, it’s still far from widespread in the United States, let alone at the level of fully automated factories as seen in countries like China and Japan.
“There is no doubt interest is high across the board, but execution is where things get difficult,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation. The group’s research also shows that while a strong majority of manufacturers believe AI will be critical to their future, only a small percentage say it’s widely deployed today.
Deloitte’s 2025 Smart Manufacturing and Operations Survey showed similar results. An estimated 92% of manufacturers surveyed said they believed smart manufacturing will be the main driver for competitiveness over the next three years.
Yet only about 29% of manufacturers reported already using AI or machine learning at the facility or network level, and only 24% had deployed generative AI. Looking ahead over the next two years, 41% of respondents said they planned to prioritize factory automation investments.
