Nokia Intros AI-Powered Offerings for Industrial Workers

Nokia has debuted a suite of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools for industrial workers.

The telecommunications firm says its MX Workmate makes Nokia the first company to adapt generative AI large language model (LLM) technology for operational environments, and comes as AI continues to transform the way people work.

According to a Wednesday (Feb. 14) news release, Nokia’s new tool generates “contextual, human-like language content” based on real-time operational technology (OT) data, with the help of generative AI and LLM technology.

This lets workers “understand complex machines, get real time status information and industries to achieve greater flexibility, productivity, sustainability, as well as improve worker safety,” Nokia said in a news release.

Faced with shortage of skilled labor, the release notes, companies are turning to AI tools to ease their staffing burdens while improving employee capabilities.

“However, current GenAI LLM solutions are not compliant with stringent OT requirements, including reliability, availability, security and data sovereignty,” Nokia said.

The company says its tool addresses this challenge by “adapting GenAI LLM technology to OT environments by onboarding all enablers to the Nokia OT-compliant on-premise edge compute solution MX Industrial Edge (MXIE).”

According to the release, MX Workmate uses innovations like AI hallucination elimination while running parallel LLMs and provides APIs to communicate with applications providing the necessary OT data.

The launch of Nokia’s tool is happening as AI is causing a shift in the work landscape, as PYMNTS noted earlier this week, following a recent report from the HR think tank The Burning Glass Institute.

That report argues that early adopters of AI will see a leap in productivity as AI automates, enhances or changes various jobs, but it could also lead to job cuts.

“That’s because AI innovation represents a double-edged sword,” PYMNTS wrote earlier this year. “AI systems can provide hugely valuable productivity gains in sectors where we don’t have enough humans to do the work, like healthcare and manufacturing, due to labor shortages and declining population growth.”

At the same time, consumers are increasingly concerned about the fallout of widespread AI integration on their jobs and livelihood.

Research from PYMNTS Intelligence finds that 70% of workers think AI can already replace at least some of their skill sets, with young consumers, those earning over $100,000, and those working in an office environment the most aware of this skill overlap.