This week, both the US and UK have opted out of signing the international Artificial Intelligence (AI) Declaration. The UK cited concerns over international security, while the US expressed fears that such an agreement could stifle the growth of this emerging industry. Despite these developments, one thing remains clear, Artificial Intelligence is set to play a major role in the cement sector, with its full potential still unfolding.
Cement producers are looking at a variety of ways of making a difference to their sales operations by using AI tools. McKinsey recently spoke with Juan Beltrán, digital manager of global sales excellence at Holcim, about new uses for AI. The multinational has been piloting Gen AI for customer sales in Spain to order cement trucks via WhatsApp. While the technology is not yet perfected, the benefits show that it is worth persisting with its development.
Mr. Beltrán acknowledged that during testing, the Gen-A-enabled tool occasionally provided overly detailed responses or recommended products outside their portfolio. He noted that the large language model (LLM) still struggles with certain queries, which is why customers always have the option to connect with a human agent.
The cement company, Cemex, is also exploring how AI tools can support customer services in a more sophisticated way. The company has copiloted Technical Xpert, an AI assistant running on Microsoft Azure OpenAI with GPT 4.0 that uses Teams as a chat interface. The idea is that the sales force in the field can access AI to recommend the best sustainable product for customers from Cemex’s vast range of products. The tool recently debuted in Mexico, delivering transformative results.
According to Christian Alday, a Cemex commercial advisor, this new tool is transforming the way cement companies can work, delivering information much faster and allowing them to have real-time conversations with customers while simultaneously addressing technical questions internally. In the past, getting this kind of information meant reaching out to multiple colleagues and waiting up to an hour for a response. Now, they can provide customers with the answers they need almost instantly.
At the plant level, there is clear evidence that this technology can help reduce CO2 emissions. Leading AI solution providers are trying to get ahead with providing the best services. ABB and Carbon Re are collaborating to enhance their offerings by working together. In October 2024 at Cemtech Europe, the two companies announced that they would jointly explore a go-to-market solution for the cement industry uniting ABB’s suites with Carbon Re’s AI and machine learning expertise.
A cement plant in Czechia is preparing to integrate Carbon Re’s AI platform alongside ABB’s Ability™ Expert Optimizer for cement APC solutions, marking a significant step toward more efficient and sustainable operations. One of the primary challenges in cement production is reducing energy consumption, particularly in the kiln process, which is highly energy intensive. Carbon Re’s advanced AI technology is designed to tackle this issue by optimizing kiln performance in real time, targeting energy reductions of 5-20% without requiring manual intervention from control room operators. This integration represents a promising move toward greater automation, efficiency, and sustainability in the cement industry.
The full potential of AI as a decarbonization tool is still being uncovered, with new advancements emerging daily. German-based Alcemy is at the forefront of applying AI in the cement and concrete industries, playing a key role in Spenner Cement’s efforts to develop a new generation of low-clinker cements that can reduce emissions by up to 65%. As Alcemy continues to expand, it is now attracting international customers and preparing to enter the US market. Its AI-powered quality control software will soon be deployed at a Titan Cement plant in Florida, marking a significant step in its global growth and contribution to more sustainable cement production.
AI is transforming the cement industry, reshaping everything from manufacturing processes to sales and distribution. As the push to create the most advanced and user-friendly AI systems intensifies, these technologies are becoming essential in driving innovation across the sector. AI is playing a critical role in the fight against climate change, providing powerful tools to develop low-carbon cement solutions. By optimizing production methods, reducing energy consumption, and enabling the creation of sustainable materials, AI is paving the way for a greener, more efficient future in cement manufacturing, positioning the cement industry to meet both environmental and market demands.
Source: cemnet.com