Beyond the Bot at Automate 2025: GenAI, Digital Twins, and Schneider Electric with Alan Grightmire

In this episode of Beyond the Bot, host Tony speaks with Alan from Schneider Electric about how one of the industry’s legacy leaders is reinventing itself through cutting-edge technologies like generative AI and digital twins. From their pioneering role in creating the first PLC in 1968 to their latest GenAI Copilot embedded within the EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform, Schneider is enabling engineers to securely generate, test, and deploy real-world automation code offline. The conversation covers everything from flexible manufacturing and simulation environments to the evolving role of system integrators and the urgent need for interdisciplinary talent in mechatronics, AI, and software. It’s a deep dive into the technology—and people—powering the future of automation.

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Transcript:

Tony (Host): Welcome back to Beyond the Bot, where we're bringing you the latest and greatest from Automate and explaining how it can help your business. Today I'm here with Alan from Schneider. Alan, thank you so much for joining me.

Alan (Schneider Electric): Thank you. I'm Alan, and I manage Schneider Electric's digital factory offerings for the United States. That includes motion, robotics, process automation technology, digital twins—all of our advanced technology for industrial facilities.

Tony: We know Schneider is a massive company that does a lot of things really well. Can you tell us a little bit about the history of how Schneider got involved in the robotics and automation space?

Alan: Sure. Schneider Electric invented the first PLC in 1968 with Bob Morley. That kicked off a whole legacy of technology, and now we’ve moved into generative AI, co-pilots, and software-defined automation. From 1968 to today—it’s been quite the journey.

Tony: Before we dive into what you're doing with generative AI, I want to zoom out. What are some of the automation trends that excite you the most right now?

Alan: Flexible manufacturing is big. Here at the show, we're seeing lots of cobots and articulated robots—that's a major trend. But also, AI and digital twins. Those technologies have been big in aerospace and automotive, but now they’re making their way into robotics. Digital twins can cut engineering time by 50%, reduce commissioning times by 30%, and simulate engineering with virtual reality. We even have a VR example here showing that in action.

Tony: We definitely need to check that out. With all this rapid growth in the space, it’s hard for folks to keep up. What are some of the biggest roadblocks to adoption you're seeing across the board?

Alan: One issue is that many customers aren’t using system integrators enough. These professionals know what works and what doesn’t. A company might say, “I want to automate,” but there are dozens of robot types. They’ll buy one, realize it’s not the right fit, and end up with a cobot collecting dust. If they’d brought in a system integrator from the start—someone who knows the business case and engineering details—they’d be in a better position to succeed.

Tony: So what makes a good system integration partner? What should people look for?

Alan: If you’re a manufacturer, you want someone with experience in your industry—whether it’s food and beverage, medical, chemical, or water. Many system integrators come from those industries and understand the challenges. They might be small or large businesses, but they bring that essential experience.

Tony: Once people find the right partner, what are some common mistakes you see companies make when they pursue automation?

Alan: Often, they haven’t fully thought through how the automation will be used. There's a lack of training and support, or they haven’t transitioned from old programming methods like ladder logic to newer ones like structured text. The industry has evolved, but not everyone has kept up. Especially small and medium businesses—they need help from experienced integrators to guide that digital and robotics transformation.

Tony: That sounds more like a people and training problem than just a technical one.

Alan: Exactly. It’s a business and leadership issue. You need to think across all departments—what needs to change to deliver new products or services? Technology is evolving fast. Generative AI is coming like a snowstorm and will evolve rapidly. So you need system integrators who bring in software engineers, AI-trained staff, and mechatronics experts. It's not just control engineers anymore—you need interdisciplinary teams. Mechatronics, G-code, computer science, AI—skills we didn’t think about 20 or 30 years ago are now essential.

Tony: That opens up huge opportunities for the next generation—people who love software, AI, and simulation.

Alan: Absolutely. Embrace it all.

Tony: Alright, let’s talk GenAI. What’s happening on that front at Schneider?

Alan: Everyone knows OpenAI, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google—those are public platforms. At Schneider, we’ve taken it a step further. We’ve integrated GenAI into our open software-defined automation platform. We have libraries for all our hardware, so if you're an OEM, you can design, test, and validate code offline—securely and accurately.

Tony: So the AI knows your exact hardware specs and capabilities?

Alan: Exactly. If you ask for a pump storage application for a particular PLC, it knows that PLC’s features and functions. It generates real, production-ready code—not buggy internet snippets. Then you can test, simulate, and get error reports. Engineers can paste their own code in, run checks, get feedback, and simulate it—all before buying any hardware. And our digital twin platform lets you model the entire system.

Tony: Sounds like you’ve built a full engineering environment with Copilot on one screen, code on another, and simulation on a third.

Alan: That’s right. You generate the code, simulate it, and validate it with the digital twin—all in one cohesive workflow.

Tony: I also saw signage for EcoStruxure Automation Expert. Can you explain what that is?

Alan: EcoStruxure Automation Expert is our open software-defined automation platform. Customers told us they want multi-vendor compatibility—not just Schneider hardware. Now, we support third-party products too. The platform handles process, discrete, and hybrid control. Copilot is embedded, so it’s a complete solution from design to deployment.

Tony: That’s amazing. Alan, thank you so much for taking the time. Looking forward to seeing everything Schneider is working on.

Alan: Thanks. I really appreciate it.

[Demo Segment: EcoStruxure Automation Expert]

Alan: This is our EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform with the GenAI Copilot embedded. You can ask it to write code for a specific application using predefined libraries, and it will generate the code. You can also paste in your own code to test, simulate, and detect errors. It provides logic diagrams and explains how the code works, referencing relevant libraries.

The digital twin lets you test code before deploying it. For example, in a logistics center, you could simulate high-demand times like Black Friday to analyze machine behavior and energy use. This system is platform-agnostic and AR-compatible. The digital twin and Automation Expert platforms communicate directly, enabling safe, real-time virtual environments for training and diagnostics.