Rootstock survey: Manufacturers are boosting AI, but want human oversight

Rootstock Software’s latest survey finds 77% of manufacturers plan to raise AI spending over the next 12 to 18 months as agentic AI gains ground. The results show strong interest in unified AI tools, but also persistent concern about trust, governance and job impact.

Why it matters: - Manufacturing AI adoption is moving from experimentation into day-to-day operations. - The shift is raising a new priority: companies want AI that improves productivity without removing human judgment from critical decisions. - The survey suggests manufacturers are now weighing workforce trust and governance as heavily as technology investment.

What happened: - Rootstock Software released its 2026 State of AI in Manufacturing Survey on Nov. 5, 2026. - The survey found 64% of manufacturers have moved beyond exploration, with AI in pilots, live use, or broader business processes. - 77% plan to increase budgets or resources for AI-powered tools over the next 12 to 18 months. - Agentic AI is gaining traction, with 31% of respondents already using it among organizations deploying AI. - Automation is the most widely deployed AI type at 52%, followed by Generative AI at 49% and Predictive AI at 40%. - The survey covered 588 manufacturing professionals at organizations with 100 or more employees in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. - Rootstock commissioned the survey and Researchscape conducted it. - The report is available here.

The details: - 77% of manufacturers plan to raise AI budgets or resources in the next 12 to 18 months. - That share is down slightly from 82% in 2024. - 20% plan to keep AI budgets unchanged, and 3% expect some level of decrease. - Among manufacturers increasing budgets, more than half expect a 10% to 25% increase. - Almost a quarter expect a 26% to 50% increase. - 59% either use separate AI capabilities across applications or have not adopted AI broadly enough for cross-system integration to matter. - 88% see at least some value in a single unified AI agent across business applications. - 58% rate that concept very or extremely valuable. - 86% are at least somewhat confident their ERP can keep pace with AI-driven manufacturing changes. - Only 43% are very or extremely confident in ERP readiness. - Supply Chain Management ranks as the top technology expected to drive further AI adoption, cited by 46%. - 77% are already using AI, piloting it, or planning investment within the next 12 months to help manage supply chain disruptions and trade uncertainty. - 73% prefer either human-directed AI or AI that operates within defined limits and escalates when needed. - Only 13% prefer fully autonomous AI. - Employee training is the most common responsible AI practice at 40%. - 25% report not using any of the responsible AI practices included in the survey. - 41% of respondents expect AI to make them more productive. - 61% are at least somewhat concerned AI could limit their career opportunities.

Between the lines: - The survey points to a maturing market where the question is no longer whether manufacturers will use AI, but how they will control it. - Trust has become the key barrier, replacing the earlier focus on skills, integration and cost. - That shift favors AI systems that can connect across business tools while still routing decisions through permissions, audit trails and business rules. - The results also show a gap between enthusiasm for automation and confidence in governance. - Rootstock CEO Rick Berger said manufacturers need vision, training and human judgment at the center of key processes. - Rootstock VP of Product Ohad Idan said the risk is not too much AI, but AI that is trusted too quickly and allowed to act without enough control.

What's next: - Manufacturers are likely to keep spending on AI, but with more scrutiny on reliability, oversight and ERP integration. - The report suggests vendor demand will rise for unified AI platforms that can work across systems without sacrificing controls. - Companies will also need to expand training if they want employee adoption to keep pace with AI deployment. - Rootstock says the full report is available for download here.

The bottom line: - Manufacturers are betting on AI, but they want human guardrails, clearer governance and enterprise systems that can safely turn AI insight into action.