ABB has launched ABB Ability™ Augmented Operator, an AI-enabled industrial software suite designed to support control room operators in identifying process anomalies, evaluating potential responses and making more informed operational decisions. Announced during ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi, the solution draws on a facility’s operating history and provides real-time intelligence and decision support while keeping human operators in control.
Designed for industries including chemicals, oil and gas, power generation and water, Augmented Operator integrates with existing control system workflows. It brings together operational context, process knowledge and AI-enabled guidance in a single interface, helping operators understand changing plant conditions and assess appropriate responses.
The software analyses multiple data points simultaneously to identify subtle changes in industrial processes. It searches historical plant records to identify how similar situations were handled by previous control room teams, forecasts critical process variables and simulates the potential outcomes of operational changes before they are implemented. By drawing on a facility’s own operating history, the system also helps less experienced operators benefit from the knowledge and decisions of earlier teams.
Gino Hernandez, Head of Global Digital Business at ABB’s Energy Industries division, said, “AI will play a growing part in the control rooms of industrial facilities, but it has to earn its place there. Operators need to understand and trust the tools they rely on, so how AI is introduced matters as much as what it can do. ABB has designed Augmented Operator to explain its reasoning, draw on a facility’s own experience and let operators test a change before they make it. This offering is an important step toward more autonomous operations, while keeping the humans in the loop.”
The launch comes amid increasing pressure on industrial operators to improve productivity, increase output, enhance yields and control operating costs while managing increasingly complex processes. Industries are also facing a growing skills challenge as experienced workers approach retirement and smaller teams oversee larger operations from centralised control rooms. The International Energy Agency has reported that, in advanced economies, 2.4 energy workers are nearing retirement for every new entrant aged under 25.
In this environment, access to historical operating knowledge and timely decision support can help control room teams respond more consistently to changing conditions. ABB Ability™ Augmented Operator is designed to help facilities identify issues earlier, potentially reducing unplanned shutdowns and off-specification production while narrowing performance differences between shifts. Its predictive capabilities also allow operators to assess the likely impact of a change before taking action.
The software forms part of ABB’s wider digitalisation portfolio and supports the company’s development of more autonomous industrial operations through AI-assisted decision-making. By combining process data, historical experience and predictive analysis, the solution aims to improve operational consistency, safety and efficiency without replacing the judgement of experienced personnel.
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. Combining engineering and digitalisation expertise, the company helps industries improve performance, efficiency, productivity and sustainability. With more than 140 years of history and approximately 110,000 employees worldwide, ABB operates across global markets. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB).
