Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing manufacturing by optimizing supply chains, performing predictive maintenance, and easily translating training documents from one language to another.
As these uses and many others continue to evolve, it will be important for members of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) to stay engaged with AI advancements. That is the advice of Russell Grissett, FPA’s new board chair and president and CEO of TOPPAN Packaging Americas, who is profiled in the cover story of the September/October edition of FlexPack VOICE® magazine. (The online edition of the magazine can be found at flexpack.org/flexpack-voice.) In the article by writer Joel Berg, Grissett describes how he has been using AI to distill complicated information and improve operational efficiencies.
The regulatory environment is becoming a challenge, and numerous resources have been published in the past several years to help manufacturers identify how AI can be used in their operations while staying on top of developments.
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a website dedicated to AI advocacy efforts, case studies, and uses. The chamber has called for a moratorium on AI regulations. “We’re not even halfway through 2025, and yet over a thousand AI-related bills have been introduced at the state and local levels,” says an article published in June by Michael Richards, executive director, policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center. “This wave of legislation has created a fragmented regulatory landscape that hinders economic prosperity.”
The chamber has called for a 10-year moratorium on state AI enforcement. “It will allow lawmakers to build on current bipartisan efforts and give small businesses the clarity they need to adopt AI tools with confidence, which will foster innovation, protect consumers, and ensure continued U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence,” he says.
In 2023, the chamber also published its “Artificial Intelligence Commission Report,” which outlines the business group’s overall insights into AI and regulations.
- “2025 Performance Optimization: Insights for Packaging Line Readiness” is an April report from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. The report discusses some of the key findings from the 2025 Top to Top Summit that was held at Jekyll Island, Georgia, from February 23–25. Key priorities from summit participants—representatives of consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)— included productivity and automation. The report includes references to how AI-driven translation tools can enhance training and learning.
- “How is AI being used in manufacturing?” is the title of an article from last fall by Matthew Finio, a content writer for IBM Consulting. One of the many advantages noted in the article involves predictive maintenance, where AI analyzes data to sense problems before machines fail. The article also outlines some of the challenges associated with AI, including a shortage of professionals with expertise in the technology and the high costs of implementation.
- The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) published “Working Smarter: How Manufacturers Are Using Artificial Intelligence” in May 2024. The 16-page report discusses the reasons why manufacturers have been adopting AI, with reducing costs and improving operational efficiency as the top reasons. Solutions to labor shortages are among the top five reasons, as well. (An overview of the NAM report published by FlexPack VOICE® last year can be found online.)
Thomas A. Barstow is senior editor of FlexPack VOICE®.