Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology that can be effectively used in critical situation, such as the recent COVID 19 pandemic. Manufacturing automation and smart manufacturing was a leap that helped with shortening many processes and reducing the need for man-power in running machine and manufacturing processes. AI is the next leap that will take us to the next levels of advancement and will put US ahead of other industrial countries. Combination of AI and AM will be remarkably transformative. This presentation outlines current state of the art in use of AI in additive manufacturing, specifically, powder bed metal additive process. Role of data in implementing AI in additive and potential types of data that is available in AM is discussed. We will have a look at the current technological advances that can help obtaining the data. Role of experimental data vs. simulation data will be explored. Gaps and shortcoming on the path to perfection is debated. Furthermore, we will delve into futuristic look into how AI can transform AM in ways only imagination can reach at this point of time

Leila Ladani is professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the director of MAnufacturinG Innovation Center (MAGIC) at Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. She received her doctorate in mechanical engineering from University of Maryland at College Park, in 2007. She is internationally recognized for her research on advanced and multi-scale manufacturing and mechanics of materials and has been invited numerous times to provide her views an perspectives on manufacturing through invited talks, keynote speeches and as consultant to several federal agencies. Ladani’s research, academic involvement and outreach has been supported and recognized by NSF, NAE, NASA, US. Department of State and many others. She is the editor of Journal of Materials Science and Engineering A and has published more than 200 refereed manuscripts and patents.