GE Digital CEO Bill Ruh Reveals Rapid Adoption of AI and Digital Twins Across Automotive, Power and Aviation

Exclusive Interview: Bill Ruh, CEO of GE Digital, shares how autonomous systems powered by AI and digital twins are transforming industry. In 2017, GE Digital saved US$1 billion (€0.85 billion) through productivity gains from its Predix platform and AI‑driven applications across factories, power plants, aircraft and energy turbines.

Current Deployment of Autonomous Systems

IoT Now: In which industries and regions are autonomous systems, supported by AI and digital twins, being used today?

Bill Ruh: Digital twins are now standard across the globe—from Middle‑Eastern oil & gas pipelines to North Sea wind turbines—and GE Digital operates 1.2 million digital twins. Initially strongest in energy and aviation, we now see growing interest in manufacturing, FMCG, and automotive.

These solutions are most valuable for data‑rich industrial assets on the critical path—where downtime translates into substantial revenue loss. Predictive analytics from digital twins help forecast asset behavior and mitigate risks.

In engineering and manufacturing, virtual replicas of complex assets—such as aircraft engines or IoT‑enabled industrial robots—enable rigorous testing of new features before physical deployment. While digital twins are intelligent, they still require human oversight, especially when validating modifications. The combination of human expertise and AI insights delivers the highest productivity gains.

Future Growth of AI in Industry

IoT Now: Which sectors do you expect to grow the most in AI over the next five years?

Bill Ruh: The Industrial Internet is poised to unlock unprecedented productivity and innovation. We project the market to reach $225 billion (€192 billion) by 2020, and its adoption could add £200 billion (€226 billion) to £320 billion (€362 billion) to the UK’s GDP by 2030.

Manufacturing, aviation, and transportation are already being reshaped, while automotive and FMCG are the next frontiers. Leading energy and healthcare firms are also accelerating adoption, creating a ripple effect across their sectors.

Predix Platform – The Competitive Edge

IoT Now: What is the unique selling point of GE’s Predix platform, and why do customers choose it?

Bill Ruh: A platform’s value lies in its applications. Predix’s “killer apps” for industry—Asset Performance Management (APM) and Field Service Management (FSM)—provide near‑out‑of‑the‑box productivity gains with rapid time to value.

Beyond short‑term gains, Predix’s open architecture lets customers integrate it into existing software stacks, scaling effortlessly across factories worldwide. It is the only industrial‑Internet‑exclusive platform that connects edge devices to cloud analytics, delivering end‑to‑end connectivity and computational power.

Predix excels at big‑data analytics, enabling real‑time, edge‑level processing that keeps pace with industrial demands. Coupled with a vibrant ecosystem—over 100 industrial applications, 1,100 partners, and 38,000 developers—customers can innovate faster and at scale.

To date, Predix supports 1.2 million digital twins and manages 310,000 assets.

AI Applications Across Sectors

IoT Now: Can you describe your range of AI‑based applications for factories, power plants, and aircraft?

Bill Ruh: Machine learning is embedded throughout our Predix portfolio. APM monitors hundreds of thousands of assets, predicting failures and enhancing maintenance. Our FSM solution, Predix ServiceMax, optimizes field service operations.

GE Brilliant Manufacturing offers AI tools that boost factory efficiency, quality, and operations. Our European Foundry team in Paris delivers remote asset monitoring and AI insights, supporting companies at any stage of their digital journey.

Strategic Partnerships in the UK and Europe

IoT Now: Who are your new strategic partners in the UK and Europe, and what do they add to the ecosystem?

Bill Ruh: We continue to expand our partnership network. Key partners include Cap Gemini and Novotek (our UK and North Europe channel partners), Vodafone (using Predix for a healthcare project), and Irlynx (an alumni start‑up working on intelligent lighting with Vodafone).

We collaborate with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), providing active Predix accounts and technical support. MTC developers visit the GE Digital Foundry in San Ramon for a joint program that accelerates app development and enhances proficiency with Predix. The platform also powers the MTC’s Data Service, Virtual Factory, and Digital Twin components of their Factory‑in‑a‑Box offering.

Bill Ruh was speaking exclusively to Jeremy Cowan, editorial director of IoT Now, IoT Global Network, and IoT Now Transport.