Making Minds

Concrete Intelligence: AI for Industries that Build, Move, and Power the World

published

Overview

In a world where artificial intelligence is often discussed in abstract terms, the manufacturing, construction, logistics, agriculture, and energy sectors have largely remained on the sidelines. Concrete Intelligence bridges that gap by offering a pragmatic, step-by-step playbook for deploying AI in asset-intensive environments.

This book has been donated to the public domain to encourage education in decision makers in legacy industry.

Key Outcomes

  • 50% reduction in unplanned downtime
  • 99.5% accuracy in quality control
  • 20% cut in energy consumption
  • Prevention of catastrophic equipment failures before they happen

What Makes This Different

Unlike generic AI handbooks, Concrete Intelligence speaks the language of heavy industry: aging infrastructure, safety-critical processes, a dearth of skilled labor, and rugged, real-world conditions. Every recommendation has been field-tested in plants where downtime can cost thousands of dollars per minute and safety can’t be compromised.

Core Insights

  • AI augments, it does not replace, human expertise
  • The biggest hurdle is not technology but change-management and organizational readiness
  • Success begins with small, proof-of-value pilots that can be scaled systematically
  • Data need only be “good enough” to solve the specific business problem
  • Waiting to adopt AI now costs more than investing in it now

Industry-Specific Guidance

Separate chapters provide detailed playbooks for:

  • Manufacturing – predictive maintenance, quality control
  • Construction – project risk assessment, safety monitoring
  • Logistics – dynamic routing, demand forecasting
  • Agriculture – precision farming, crop monitoring
  • Energy – asset health monitoring, grid optimization