A CIO's Vision on the AI industrial revolution | AI Now Summit 2026

Marjorie Janiewicz, CRO of Mistral, and Dr. Franz Decker, CIO & Senior Vice President Group IT at BMW Group, announced a strategic partnership to develop specialized industrial AI models, starting with automotive crash testing. Key Highlights: Accelerated Engineering: AI can now analyze complex crash simulations in just two minutes, a task that typically takes an engineer 30 to 35 minutes. Beyond Efficiency: The partnership aims to move AI from simple efficiency to high-value creation by leveraging BMW's proprietary engineering knowledge and 20 years of historical data. Customized for Industry: Unlike general-purpose AI, these specialized models are designed to interpret technical data like sensor traces, drawings, and physics. Data Security: Models are trained within BMW's managed infrastructure to protect sensitive intellectual property. Scalable Foundation: While starting with crash simulations, BMW plans to expand this AI foundation to other technical areas such as aerodynamics, robotics, and production.