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The second Autopromotec Talks event dedicated to AI was held on November 19 at Volvo Studio Milano
Autopromotec Editorial Staff
On 19 November, the Volvo Studio in Milan hosted the second Autopromotec Talks event, dedicated to theme of Artificial Intelligence applied to the world of automobiles and workshops.
“IA on the Road: How Artificial Intelligence is transforming the automotive world and the aftermarket”
From autonomous driving to predictive maintenance, AI is redefining the automotive experience and revolutionising the entire automotive aftermarket sector.
The journey to discover the role that AI already has and could have within the automotive sector was led by Alessio Jacona, Curator of the Artificial Intelligence Observatory for ANSA.it.
For example, AI underpins autonomous driving and driver assistance systems (ADAS) and plays a key role in predictive maintenance. By analysing data collected from vehicle sensors, AI can predict when a component might fail and suggest preventive action. This helps reduce repair costs and improve vehicle reliability.
Factories use AI to optimise the production process, improve product quality and reduce downtime through machine monitoring and predictive maintenance.
In the Aftermarket, AI can be employed for advanced diagnostics: by analysing vehicle data, problems can be identified that might not be detected by traditional tools. This allows faults to be identified faster and more accurately.
Furthermore, AI can analyse driving habits and repair history in order to recommend specific interventions or suitable spare parts. This level of personalisation increases customer satisfaction.
Finally, parts dealers can use AI to predict which parts will be needed in the future, optimising inventory and reducing running costs.
All these applications help to improve operational efficiency, service quality and reduce costs, creating value for both companies and customers alike.
Kicking off the meeting was Roberto Lonardi, Public Relations for Volvo Car Italia, who explained how Volvo Studio Milano was able to host the Autopromotec Talk dedicated to AI due to a truly shared understanding of the topic. Volvo has long made use of artificial intelligence functions in car design and the definition of product features, especially with regard to safety, and also during customer interaction. One example par excellence is that of the EX90 and its Driver Understanding technology, which makes the car able to understand the psychophysical condition of the person sitting behind the wheel and prevent any dangerous situations. This establishes a new level of interaction between man and machine that becomes communication.
The use of AI shows the first efficiency results as early as the design phase. Supplied with the initial information, generative AI is able to return a solution in up to 5 times less time than a team of experts with an approach reminiscent of lateral thinking. These are alternative solutions which can rightly be described as examples of “creativity”. To give an idea of the potential multiplier effect of these systems, it can be said that by employing a team of 4 or 5 people to direct the process, generative AI systems can produce a result corresponding to the work of about twice as many people. However, as Francesco Ricciardi, Vice President of the ANFIA Car Design & Engineering Group, explained, we know that generative AI can sometimes have difficulties in understanding context and this can lead to incorrect or wildly imaginative interpretations of data. This explains the importance of the human factor in monitoring results in order to recognise errors and act on the training data or algorithms or, for that matter, on any coding and implementation problems in order to prevent their recurrence. There is therefore a need for specialised professionals for both directing and refining processes. The automotive industry is a constantly evolving sector and it is important for companies in the supply chain to embrace these technologies in order to remain competitive. In 2022, the 2,167 companies that make up the automotive sector in Italy employed around 167,000 people and generated a turnover of 55.9 billion euros (Anfia Observatory data).
Human nature struggles to accept, understand and embrace the novelties offered by this technology, which in contrast has - by its very nature - a drive to continuously evolve with an exponential learning curve, which differs greatly from the linear learning curve of human intelligence. The risk is that AI will be perceived as a technology ‘competing’ with the professional qualities of the individual, whereas it should be implemented as a technology that enhances human activity.
Cinzia Carbone, Head of Sales at Solera, pointed out that as “consumers” we are ready to accept the novelty of this technology in order to obtain value, such as a saving, be it financial or in terms of time. This inclination is dramatically reversed when we start making decisions as a company, as an organisation.
In the aftermarket sector, we see a different propensity among the different market players belonging to differently-sized companies. Major organisations such as insurance companies have already started to use AI-supported systems, for example, for the automatic compilation of paperwork or in the management of contact centres or policy prices. On the other hand, if we look at the world of claims repair for which companies are clients, there is still a lack of real application of AI systems. Systems exist and are already available in Italy. For example, in the event of an accident, a company or fleet can use a web-app to request a guided collection of damage photos from its customer and with AI in a few seconds determine the severity, location and type of damage and how to deal with it accordingly. It may send the customer to a professional repairer or, in the case of minor damage, offer a prompt settlement or bring in an expert. On the other hand, if the system warns that a vehicle cannot be repaired, the vehicle will not be sent to the repairer, with efficiencies also in terms of the CO2 savings from not travelling to the body shop and the kilometres saved. The mechatronics technician will also benefit because they will only have to deal with repairs. So why is this still not happening? In many cases, the application of AI is slowed down by the necessary system integrations and the associated costs, but we are also witnessing a certain reluctance on the part of the car repair sector to adopt it. The aftermarket sector and in particular the car repair sector in Italy must gain in competitiveness and can do so - as of now - through the use of existing products on the market.
For Solera, AI is not a distant thing and must not remain the domain of the few and, above all, it must not restrict human decisions, on the contrary, it must strengthen them.
One aspect of primary interest is the increase in productivity thanks to GenIA, explained Riccardo Sesini, Head of Digital Transformation at VHIT SpA of Bosch, noting that in the manufacturing sector, AI assistants are increasingly being used to support maintenance and the analysis of customer requirements. These advanced tools, designed to understand and generate natural language, are revolutionising the way companies manage maintenance processes and respond to specific customer needs. Designed to interact in natural language, AI assistants are able to analyse technical documentation, maintenance manuals and service history in real time, providing operators with immediate suggestions for problem solving. Thanks to their ability to learn from operational data and adapt to the specific needs of each system, these tools provide maintenance teams with quick access to specialised information and contextual tips, improving efficiency and reducing troubleshooting time. Furthermore, these systems continuously learn from new cases and construct an increasingly refined knowledge base that preserves and enhances the company's know-how. These algorithms can automatically evaluate up to 70% of the specifications provided, with an accuracy rate of over 94%. This level of automation significantly reduces manual workload, ensuring faster and more accurate responses to customer requests and increasing operating satisfaction and efficiency.
Such practical examples in industrial processes illustrate how we are opening up new frontiers in intelligent automation, making it possible to effectively manage complex tasks that traditionally required only human intervention.
According to the motto of Marco Bettin, Commercial Director of Launch Italy, “Prevention is better than cure” and artificial intelligence helps us in this respect. Thanks to machine learning algorithms and big data, it is now possible to go from simply reading fault codes to accurately predicting faults. Predictive diagnostics analyses not only error codes, but also real-time data collected from sensors, electronic control units and connected devices. AI detects errors that could anticipate a malfunction, allowing problems to be prevented and reduce repair costs. The predictive revolution marks a decisive step towards intelligent vehicle management, allowing for optimised performance, improved planned maintenance and increased long-term reliability.
But humans will not lose their central role, as underlined by Franco Benati, sales manager of Sipav, to CEMB Group Company, for whom workshop reception will be equipped with a robot to support the operator.
Today, vehicle reception is entrusted to precision instrumentation that, under the supervision of the human operator, verifies every parameter that is essential for the safety and efficiency of the vehicle, but it is not science fiction to imagine that a robot equipped with artificial intelligence, with a simple scan of the number plate, could gather all the information and that the role of the human operator at vehicle reception could be transformed. From a technical operator, the operator at vehicle reception becomes a programmer and data manager, an expert capable of interpreting complex results, configuring the system and, above all, creating a relationship of trust with the customer. Their main task? Clearly communicate the results of the analysis, explain the need for action and guarantee a seamless reception experience.
A technological and human revolution that promises not only greater efficiency and precision, but also a renewed centrality of the human relationship in the digital age. The workshop of tomorrow is not only smarter: it is closer to the customer, with a service that is in keeping with the times.
Renzo Servadei, Managing Director of Autopromotec concludes by directly questioning AI on the topics discussed because “The revolution in the automotive aftermarket has begun: artificial intelligence is transforming maintenance into a tailor-made experience. I imagine a situation in which I will soon be able to present a kind of maintenance STARGATE that can collect information on mechanics, tyres and bodywork, and thanks to advanced predictive diagnostics systems, cars will not only signal necessary interventions, but anticipate them, analysing data in real time and offering customised solutions. All this will be on display at the Bologna Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 May 2025. A biennial event in its 30th year, Autopromotec the most specialised international exhibition of automotive equipment and aftermarket products. In its sixty-year history, Autopromotec has been expanding and so has its audience, thanks to the presence of internationally renowned exhibitors, and is now considered the main International trade show gathering all automotive aftermarket product groups under one roof: from tyres to car service, from workshop equipment to spare parts. It is the longest-running trade fair in the industry, in Italy and in Europe”.
AI is no longer just a technological ally, but a revolution in the relationship between driver and car, making every journey safer, more efficient and more personal
The use of AI for customised maintenance offers several advantages for drivers. That is why it is a positive change:
From autonomous driving to predictive maintenance, AI is redefining the automotive experience and revolutionising the entire automotive aftermarket sector.
The journey to discover the role that AI already has and could have within the automotive sector was led by Alessio Jacona, Curator of the Artificial Intelligence Observatory for ANSA.it.
For example, AI underpins autonomous driving and driver assistance systems (ADAS) and plays a key role in predictive maintenance. By analysing data collected from vehicle sensors, AI can predict when a component might fail and suggest preventive action. This helps reduce repair costs and improve vehicle reliability.
Factories use AI to optimise the production process, improve product quality and reduce downtime through machine monitoring and predictive maintenance.
In the Aftermarket, AI can be employed for advanced diagnostics: by analysing vehicle data, problems can be identified that might not be detected by traditional tools. This allows faults to be identified faster and more accurately.
Furthermore, AI can analyse driving habits and repair history in order to recommend specific interventions or suitable spare parts. This level of personalisation increases customer satisfaction.
Finally, parts dealers can use AI to predict which parts will be needed in the future, optimising inventory and reducing running costs.
All these applications help to improve operational efficiency, service quality and reduce costs, creating value for both companies and customers alike.
Kicking off the meeting was Roberto Lonardi, Public Relations for Volvo Car Italia, who explained how Volvo Studio Milano was able to host the Autopromotec Talk dedicated to AI due to a truly shared understanding of the topic. Volvo has long made use of artificial intelligence functions in car design and the definition of product features, especially with regard to safety, and also during customer interaction. One example par excellence is that of the EX90 and its Driver Understanding technology, which makes the car able to understand the psychophysical condition of the person sitting behind the wheel and prevent any dangerous situations. This establishes a new level of interaction between man and machine that becomes communication.
The use of AI shows the first efficiency results as early as the design phase. Supplied with the initial information, generative AI is able to return a solution in up to 5 times less time than a team of experts with an approach reminiscent of lateral thinking. These are alternative solutions which can rightly be described as examples of “creativity”. To give an idea of the potential multiplier effect of these systems, it can be said that by employing a team of 4 or 5 people to direct the process, generative AI systems can produce a result corresponding to the work of about twice as many people. However, as Francesco Ricciardi, Vice President of the ANFIA Car Design & Engineering Group, explained, we know that generative AI can sometimes have difficulties in understanding context and this can lead to incorrect or wildly imaginative interpretations of data. This explains the importance of the human factor in monitoring results in order to recognise errors and act on the training data or algorithms or, for that matter, on any coding and implementation problems in order to prevent their recurrence. There is therefore a need for specialised professionals for both directing and refining processes. The automotive industry is a constantly evolving sector and it is important for companies in the supply chain to embrace these technologies in order to remain competitive. In 2022, the 2,167 companies that make up the automotive sector in Italy employed around 167,000 people and generated a turnover of 55.9 billion euros (Anfia Observatory data).
Human nature struggles to accept, understand and embrace the novelties offered by this technology, which in contrast has - by its very nature - a drive to continuously evolve with an exponential learning curve, which differs greatly from the linear learning curve of human intelligence. The risk is that AI will be perceived as a technology ‘competing’ with the professional qualities of the individual, whereas it should be implemented as a technology that enhances human activity.
Cinzia Carbone, Head of Sales at Solera, pointed out that as “consumers” we are ready to accept the novelty of this technology in order to obtain value, such as a saving, be it financial or in terms of time. This inclination is dramatically reversed when we start making decisions as a company, as an organisation.
In the aftermarket sector, we see a different propensity among the different market players belonging to differently-sized companies. Major organisations such as insurance companies have already started to use AI-supported systems, for example, for the automatic compilation of paperwork or in the management of contact centres or policy prices. On the other hand, if we look at the world of claims repair for which companies are clients, there is still a lack of real application of AI systems. Systems exist and are already available in Italy. For example, in the event of an accident, a company or fleet can use a web-app to request a guided collection of damage photos from its customer and with AI in a few seconds determine the severity, location and type of damage and how to deal with it accordingly. It may send the customer to a professional repairer or, in the case of minor damage, offer a prompt settlement or bring in an expert. On the other hand, if the system warns that a vehicle cannot be repaired, the vehicle will not be sent to the repairer, with efficiencies also in terms of the CO2 savings from not travelling to the body shop and the kilometres saved. The mechatronics technician will also benefit because they will only have to deal with repairs. So why is this still not happening? In many cases, the application of AI is slowed down by the necessary system integrations and the associated costs, but we are also witnessing a certain reluctance on the part of the car repair sector to adopt it. The aftermarket sector and in particular the car repair sector in Italy must gain in competitiveness and can do so - as of now - through the use of existing products on the market.
For Solera, AI is not a distant thing and must not remain the domain of the few and, above all, it must not restrict human decisions, on the contrary, it must strengthen them.
One aspect of primary interest is the increase in productivity thanks to GenIA, explained Riccardo Sesini, Head of Digital Transformation at VHIT SpA of Bosch, noting that in the manufacturing sector, AI assistants are increasingly being used to support maintenance and the analysis of customer requirements. These advanced tools, designed to understand and generate natural language, are revolutionising the way companies manage maintenance processes and respond to specific customer needs. Designed to interact in natural language, AI assistants are able to analyse technical documentation, maintenance manuals and service history in real time, providing operators with immediate suggestions for problem solving. Thanks to their ability to learn from operational data and adapt to the specific needs of each system, these tools provide maintenance teams with quick access to specialised information and contextual tips, improving efficiency and reducing troubleshooting time. Furthermore, these systems continuously learn from new cases and construct an increasingly refined knowledge base that preserves and enhances the company's know-how. These algorithms can automatically evaluate up to 70% of the specifications provided, with an accuracy rate of over 94%. This level of automation significantly reduces manual workload, ensuring faster and more accurate responses to customer requests and increasing operating satisfaction and efficiency.
Such practical examples in industrial processes illustrate how we are opening up new frontiers in intelligent automation, making it possible to effectively manage complex tasks that traditionally required only human intervention.
According to the motto of Marco Bettin, Commercial Director of Launch Italy, “Prevention is better than cure” and artificial intelligence helps us in this respect. Thanks to machine learning algorithms and big data, it is now possible to go from simply reading fault codes to accurately predicting faults. Predictive diagnostics analyses not only error codes, but also real-time data collected from sensors, electronic control units and connected devices. AI detects errors that could anticipate a malfunction, allowing problems to be prevented and reduce repair costs. The predictive revolution marks a decisive step towards intelligent vehicle management, allowing for optimised performance, improved planned maintenance and increased long-term reliability.
But humans will not lose their central role, as underlined by Franco Benati, sales manager of Sipav, to CEMB Group Company, for whom workshop reception will be equipped with a robot to support the operator.
Today, vehicle reception is entrusted to precision instrumentation that, under the supervision of the human operator, verifies every parameter that is essential for the safety and efficiency of the vehicle, but it is not science fiction to imagine that a robot equipped with artificial intelligence, with a simple scan of the number plate, could gather all the information and that the role of the human operator at vehicle reception could be transformed. From a technical operator, the operator at vehicle reception becomes a programmer and data manager, an expert capable of interpreting complex results, configuring the system and, above all, creating a relationship of trust with the customer. Their main task? Clearly communicate the results of the analysis, explain the need for action and guarantee a seamless reception experience.
A technological and human revolution that promises not only greater efficiency and precision, but also a renewed centrality of the human relationship in the digital age. The workshop of tomorrow is not only smarter: it is closer to the customer, with a service that is in keeping with the times.
Renzo Servadei, Managing Director of Autopromotec concludes by directly questioning AI on the topics discussed because “The revolution in the automotive aftermarket has begun: artificial intelligence is transforming maintenance into a tailor-made experience. I imagine a situation in which I will soon be able to present a kind of maintenance STARGATE that can collect information on mechanics, tyres and bodywork, and thanks to advanced predictive diagnostics systems, cars will not only signal necessary interventions, but anticipate them, analysing data in real time and offering customised solutions. All this will be on display at the Bologna Exhibition Centre from 21 to 24 May 2025. A biennial event in its 30th year, Autopromotec the most specialised international exhibition of automotive equipment and aftermarket products. In its sixty-year history, Autopromotec has been expanding and so has its audience, thanks to the presence of internationally renowned exhibitors, and is now considered the main International trade show gathering all automotive aftermarket product groups under one roof: from tyres to car service, from workshop equipment to spare parts. It is the longest-running trade fair in the industry, in Italy and in Europe”.
AI is no longer just a technological ally, but a revolution in the relationship between driver and car, making every journey safer, more efficient and more personal
The use of AI for customised maintenance offers several advantages for drivers. That is why it is a positive change:
- Breakdown prevention:: Thanks to predictive diagnostics, AI identifies signs of wear or faults before they become serious problems. This avoids sudden expensive repairs and inconveniences such as being stranded.
- Time savings: The car schedules maintenance based on the owner's driving habits and schedule, suggesting appointments at the most convenient times.
- Cost reduction: By intervening only when necessary and optimising the replacement of components, needless expenditure on unnecessary checks or spare parts is avoided.
- Customised experience: Every driver is different, and AI is aware of this. It analyses data such as driving style, local climate and the type of most frequent journeys in order to propose tailor-made maintenance.
- Increased safety: By predicting problems and suggesting targeted interventions, the car is always in the ideal condition to ensure safe journeys.
- Value over time: Well-planned and up-to-date maintenance keeps the car in excellent condition, increasing its market value.
In short, AI offers convenience, safety and savings, transforming the driving experience into something simpler and more enjoyable. The car becomes an active partner, not just a means of transport.
