At the 2026 CES exhibition, a conversation concerning the future of the industrial sector drew global attention—Siemens CEO Roland Busch and NVIDIA founder Jensen Huang jointly announced the launch of the world's first "Industrial AI Operating System." This deeply integrated hardware-software platform marks the transformation of industrial artificial intelligence from an auxiliary tool at the end of the process into a core engine driving full-chain transformation from the very beginning of product design.
Differing from previous approaches that simply added AI to existing production lines, this new system is built on the principle of "rebuilding rather than patching," creating a three-layer technical stack covering the entire industrial lifecycle: the bottom layer provides powerful computing power through NVIDIA GPUs; the middle layer integrates advanced design and multi-physics simulation software such as Siemens NX and Teamcenter; the top layer connects the manufacturing execution system (MES) with the operations management platform. The three layers work seamlessly, achieving a closed loop of "design equals verification, and verification equals manufacturing," allowing AI capabilities to be present in every step from concept sketches to factory implementation.
Early results have already shown promising outcomes. In PepsiCo's smart warehouse project, the system optimized logistics routes and inventory scheduling in real time, improving overall operational efficiency by 20%; Rolls-Royce used its high-fidelity simulation and generative design capabilities to significantly accelerate the iteration cycle of aircraft engines, reducing component weight while maintaining performance; more notably, the platform is being used for cutting-edge commercial fusion energy projects around the world, helping scientists efficiently simulate reactor structures under extreme conditions, advancing clean energy breakthroughs.
This collaboration is not just a technological integration but a fundamental shift in the industrial paradigm. In the past, AI was often used in "after-the-fact" scenarios such as quality inspection or predictive maintenance; now, Siemens and NVIDIA have moved AI to the starting point of innovation—conducting thousands of trials in the virtual world before applying the optimal solution to real-world production. Huang emphasized, "The factory of the future is born first in the digital twin." Busch, on the other hand, pointed out that this is the core of Industry 5.0: the deep integration of people, machines, and intelligent systems.
As the "Industrial AI Operating System" takes shape, the dimensions of competition in manufacturing are shifting. Victory is no longer solely determined by equipment precision or supply chain efficiency, but by who can first establish a digital engineering system with AI as its nervous system. The partnership between Siemens and NVIDIA not only injects agile genes into heavy industry but also signals to the world that true industrial revolution begins with a line of code and is realized through precise simulation predictions.
