Ford has rehired human engineers after its AI systems failed to match the quality of veteran inspectors. According to Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, the issue stemmed from a lack of proper training data and experience in automated tools.

"Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it's only as good as the information you use to train it," said Poon. The company’s return to top quality rankings in the US JD Power Initial Quality Study has highlighted the need for human expertise in AI development and implementation.

Ford is not alone; many companies have embraced AI in a bid to boost productivity and costs, but the results are mixed. Over 300 veteran engineers were rehired to train up systems and mentor younger workers. This move underscores the importance of combining tech with human insight for better outcomes.

"AI will leave a lot of white collar people behind," said Ford’s CEO Jim Farley, reflecting on the potential displacement of skilled workers by automation. However, as this case shows, sometimes human experience can’t be digitised yet.