Keeping Humans At The Heart Of The AI Revolution

History shows that rapid technological advancements significantly impact society, the economy and the environment. The first industrial revolution dramatically boosted productivity and economic growth. However, it also involved challenging labor conditions and significant environmental impacts. These issues were often overlooked at the time and became normalized in society.

Today, we know better as we stand at the open gates of the AI era and the fifth industrial revolution. This new era is built on seamless collaboration between humans and machines, focusing on human-centric, economically resilient and sustainable innovation. It places a strong emphasis on the ethical use of advanced technologies such as AI, generative AI (GenAI), internet of things (IoT) and robotics. And it has influenced a new mindset that prioritizes environmental and social concerns in any technological advancement. Simply put, the AI revolution connects digitalization and automation in a broader context of industrial transformation that is resilient and directionally focused on people, the planet and equitable prosperity.

Right now, forward-thinking technology leaders are envisioning the use of AI to harness the power of data and advance initiatives that promote human health and well-being. AI-powered digital twins, also sometimes known as cognitive digital twins, integrate various forms of AI including rules-based AI, machine learning, GenAI and agentic AI, with model-based digital twins and human oversight. These advanced systems enable real-time decision intelligence, providing powerful capabilities for automated decision-making across various applications and industries.

Cognitive digital twins can significantly promote environmental, social and economic equality by enabling more informed, proactive and targeted decision-making through real-time decision intelligence and scenario simulations. This process helps choose the most sustainable and inclusive approaches.

The story of Texas Children’s Hospital digital twins project exemplifies this vision in action. Initially aimed at facilitating collaboration among dispersed team members on a sustainable hospital building project, it became a catalyst for revolutionizing the hospital’s approach to care, driving efficiencies and creating a blueprint for the future of healthcare. The digital twin solution, built on the Dell AI Factory with NVIDIA®, initially provided the capability for users to move through meticulously crafted virtual spaces using 3D avatars. It quickly evolved beyond a virtual meeting place. The ability to interact with an exact replica of the planned building spaces helped architects, builders and clinicians design areas that reduce environmental impact by minimizing waste, improving functionality and ergonomics for practitioners and transforming the patient care experience. Additionally, remote collaboration eliminated the need for travel to the site, further reducing the project’s environmental impact and costs.

This success is a prime example of AI-powered digital twins operating effectively at the edge, and that’s no coincidence. AI at the edge is a natural extension of the trend toward placing computing power closer to data sources — such as IoT devices, robots, smartphones, wearables and other types of sensory devices — and the people who need to use data-driven insights to make the world a better place. By running cognitive computing workloads at the edge, organizations can benefit from real-time response, lower data transfer requirements, improved resilience, better control over data privacy and the ability to operate effectively in diverse environments for easier scaling.

For instance, IoT devices like smart thermostats and industrial sensors can collect and process data on-site to optimize energy usage and monitor and manage hospital equipment health. Robots and cobots in hospitals can use edge AI to assist in surgeries and perform patient monitoring, adapting to changes in patient conditions without needing constant cloud connectivity. Smartphones and wearables can provide healthcare professionals with immediate access to patient data. Now, with cognitive computing, patient care can be further enhanced by access to real-time data intelligence for informed decision-making. Additionally with sensory devices, such as environmental sensors, air quality and temperature can be tracked and managed to ensure safe and comfortable conditions in various settings.

AI and GenAI with digital twins at the edge are poised to make a critical difference in the future of humanity. In this exciting new era, the Dell AI Factory along with the edge orchestration platform, Dell NativeEdge, can help organizations of all types and sizes harness the full potential of cognitive digital twins to innovate with a focus on human-centric, environmentally sustainable transformation.

Visit the Edge Resource Library to learn more about AI and digital twins at the edge.