Ford Motor CompanyFord brings back over 300 experienced quality engineers after AI fell short, improving vehicle quality and regaining top J.D. Power ranking.

Ford Motor Co. has brought back more than 300 experienced quality engineers after finding that artificial intelligence cannot fully replace human expertise in vehicle quality checks. The company had been increasing AI use on the production line, including AI-driven cameras to spot defects, but executives said the technology did not match the insights and judgment of skilled engineers. Charles Poon, Ford's vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, noted that AI is only as good as the data used to train it and acknowledged the overlooked value of veteran engineers, who have now been recruited back to help train the AI and guide younger staff. This renewed focus on human expertise coincides with Ford regaining the top spot among mainstream automakers in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study, a position it last held in 2010, with the company attributing the quality gains to leadership changes and the return of experienced engineers.
Ford Motor CompanyFord brings back over 300 experienced quality engineers after AI fell short, improving vehicle quality and regaining top J.D. Power ranking.