Physical AI for the process industry

24 Jun 2026

Following on from massive hype and interest spurred by large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI, physical AI is the next exciting emerging frontier in the AI landscape. Contrasted with the ""brain in a jar"" view of LLMs that live entirely in the virtual realm, physical AI gives that brain eyes, ears, and hands.
In this talk, we will explore some of the emerging notions of physical AI and initial areas of interest. Subsequently, we will focus on the process industry, and examine case studies of AI applications and conclude with a view towards the future of physical AI driven process industry. 

3 Key learnings:

  • Introduction to various notions of physical AI
  • Applications of AI in the process industry
  • Human centred AI in manufacturing
Speakers
Abhik Banerjee
Abhik Banerjee, Associate Director, Digital Innovation Lab/ Senior Research Fellow - Swinburne University of Technology