Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Human–AI Collaboration in Manufacturing in the Age of Industry 5.0

This paper examines human–AI collaboration in manufacturing within the broader Industry 5.0 vision, emphasizing the importance of human factors in socio-technical systems. Drawing on a qualitative interview study, it explores experts’ perceptions of human–AI collaboration in manufacturing, together with its benefits and challenges. The findings show that experts view this collaboration as a mutually supportive partnership combining AI’s analytical capabilities with human experience and domain expertise. Safety emerged as a defining characteristic specific to manufacturing, where hazardous machinery and complex environments make it a critical concern. The benefits were primarily linked to production process improvements and were considered dependent on human trust and data quality. The contribution of this study lies in demonstrating that data practices constitute an important dimension of human–AI collaboration, with workers’ willingness to share domain knowledge, their readiness to participate in data-related processes, and organizational data governance playing key roles in manufacturing settings.