Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Twin: An Essential Combination

This chapter addresses the value and the synergies of combining Artificial Intelligence technologies with Digital Twins. We begin with a high level, but comprehensive review of AI technologies that may be important for Digital Twins. Then we examine the relationship of AI techniques and methods to the progression of capabilities for Digital Twins in general. The properties and architecture of Digital Twins are then analyzed and related to major AI techniques. The objective is to identify those AI technologies that provide a unique advantage in the design and implementation of Digital Twins. The impact on the Digital Twin’s ability to meet end use requirements is illustrated through a simple use case. This points to the importance of including AI from the beginning in the design and construction of Digital Twins. In considering additional use cases we map how AI can be applied to Digital Twins in more complex situations. Finally, we provide general guidelines for inclusion of AI to be incorporated during the design phase of a Digital Twin. This includes the use of AI within the Digital Twin itself and in operations where the context is the larger system that the Digital Twin supports.