Industrial artificial intelligence has moved from promise to practice. A Cisco Systems Inc. survey of 1,000 industry leaders found that 61% of organizations across manufacturing, transportation and utilities are deploying AI to improve productivity, reduce costs and strengthen operational resilience.
Yet only 20% have reached truly scaled, mature adoption. The technology is advancing rapidly, but progress often slows once AI moves beyond pilots and into production. Lack of necessary infrastructure, cybersecurity risk and system complexity are the most common reasons.
At the heart of the challenge lies a human issue-how people work together. Industrial AI sits at the intersection of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) teams. IT teams handle networks, data and security; OT teams manage industrial processes, safety and real-time operations. Neither can scale AI alone.
AI amplifies these roles. As systems connect more assets and rely on data, coordination grows critical. When IT and OT operate in silos, organizations struggle to deploy AI confidently in production.
Cisco found that while 57% report some IT/OT collaboration, 43% still work in isolation. Fully converged teams remain rare. This isn't due to lack of recognition but difficulty building combined skill sets in individuals.
Collaboration, not convergence, is key. Enabling IT and OT teams to contribute their full expertise toward shared outcomes improves confidence, network stability, and cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity poses a major barrier-40% cite it as the biggest obstacle to scaling industrial AI. Organizations with strong IT/OT cooperation are better at recognizing and addressing risks early.
Clear accountability builds trust. Unclear ownership leads to hesitation. Mature AI adopters define shared goals: uptime, safety, resilience and performance.
Ultimately, realizing Industrial AI's potential requires dismantling silos so that IT and OT teams can collaborate effectively. The goal is not hybrid super-workers, but truly connected teams that blend digital agility with operational rigor.
Samuel Pasquier is vice president of product management for industrial IoT networking at Cisco Systems.