Ford Tried to Fix Its Quality Problems With AI. It Didn’t Work. So They Brought Back a Squad of Human ‘Gray Beards.’
The automaker leaned on AI to solve its quality woes and got worse results. So it rehired 350 veteran engineers.
Here’s a story that should make you feel optimistic about humanity. For years, Ford leaned on AI and automated systems to fix its quality problems. The cars kept getting recalled anyway — Ford is the most recalled automaker in America. Frustrated, the company tried something different: it rehired 350 veteran engineers called “Gray Beards” to mentor younger staff and retrain the AI tools that weren’t delivering, according to Bloomberg.
The company’s VP of vehicle hardware engineering admitted that Ford mistakenly believed AI alone could produce high-quality vehicles. Turns out the machines are “only as good as the information you use to train it,” he said.
The Gray Beards came through. Ford just topped JD Power’s Initial Quality Survey among mainstream brands for the first time in 16 years, surpassing Toyota and Honda. Three models — the F-150, Mustang and Super Duty — each ranked No. 1 in their categories. The company expects the turnaround to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in cost savings this year. That should take some gray out of the beard.
Here’s a story that should make you feel optimistic about humanity. For years, Ford leaned on AI and automated systems to fix its quality problems. The cars kept getting recalled anyway — Ford is the most recalled automaker in America. Frustrated, the company tried something different: it rehired 350 veteran engineers called “Gray Beards” to mentor younger staff and retrain the AI tools that weren’t delivering, according to Bloomberg.
The company’s VP of vehicle hardware engineering admitted that Ford mistakenly believed AI alone could produce high-quality vehicles. Turns out the machines are “only as good as the information you use to train it,” he said.
The Gray Beards came through. Ford just topped JD Power’s Initial Quality Survey among mainstream brands for the first time in 16 years, surpassing Toyota and Honda. Three models — the F-150, Mustang and Super Duty — each ranked No. 1 in their categories. The company expects the turnaround to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in cost savings this year. That should take some gray out of the beard.
