At a glance
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AI is evolving at an unprecedented speed, outpacing previous technological shifts, such as cloud computing or mobile technology.
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New reasoning models and Agentic AI are enabling smarter, autonomous decision-making.
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For asset-heavy industries, AI is now mature enough to deliver real operational impact.
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This is the moment to move from reactive to predictive asset management, at scale.
My answer? Scale, scale, scale! And speed.
Reasoning Models Are Progressing Rapidly
I remember using ChatGPT-3.5 back in 2022 when it was first released. It didn’t come close to the capabilities of GPT-4 Turbo, but even then, the responses it gave me were far better than I ever expected. I was so impressed that, for the next two weeks, I kept encouraging my wife - who was working on a Six Sigma project at the time - to give it a try. She eventually gave in and asked a question related to her project. A few paragraphs in, she went quiet. Then she turned to me and said, “This is good!”
Fast forward just a couple of years, and we’ve brought Agentic AI to life here at COSOL. Agentic AI is essentially a self-reflective orchestrator. It can take a prompt, access relevant tools and resources, and use what seem like cognitive and emergent abilities - along with critical thinking - to develop a plan, execute it, and deliver meaningful results.
Now's the AI Moment for Asset Management
If you’re in an asset-heavy industry, like mining, utilities, infrastructure, or transport, this isn’t the time to catch up. It’s the time to leap ahead.
Why? Because the technology is finally ready.
AI has been part of the asset management conversation for years. Smarter maintenance, better forecasting, reduced downtime - these were the promises of early machine learning. But the tools weren’t always mature enough. Accessible enough. Or reliable enough.
That’s changed.
Today, with advanced reasoning models and agentic AI frameworks, we now have systems that do more than just process data - they understand context, plan intelligently, and recommend actions with confidence.
Even at its most basic level, AI can deliver significant productivity gains - automating repetitive tasks, streamlining maintenance workflows, and reducing manual effort. But as organisations move further along the maturity curve, the opportunity becomes even more compelling. AI has the power to completely reimagine operations, shifting from reactive to predictive, from manual to autonomous, and from operational silos to fully integrated, data-driven ecosystems that are highly efficient and maximally profitable.
For industries that depend on heavy machinery and high-stakes decision-making, this is a turning point. Whether it’s automating the creation of Bills of Materials, classifying thousands of work orders, or identifying maintenance risks before they become failures, AI is not just delivering - it’s transforming.
But how to do from thinking about it to making AI work
I think about this topic often, which is why I said “Absolutely” when asked if I’d moderate upcoming executive roundtables on how asset managers can unlock real value from AI – from walking to jogging, and then finally running with AI.
It will be candid but informative. A discussion, possibly some debate, but I can tell you what it won't be: death by PowerPoint. We all hate that, right?
And though this is a private event, we will be sharing the insights after the event. So, fill in your details here if you’d like to receive them.
About Anthony Cipolla
Anthony Cipolla is a self-described career technologist on a mission to help customers experience the impact of digital transformation and practical AI. Following a 15-year career as an analyst, transitioned into consulting, practice management, and innovation via GTM development.
Delivered high-profile AI initiatives including USYD Survey Classification Automation, TfNSW High-Risk Intersection Pilot, APM Health Risk Factors, and most recently, Newmont Mining’s Continuous Monitoring + AI and the COSOL-Agent Pilot.
Currently focused on accelerating COSOL’s AI readiness and capabilities to enable the next wave of real-value industry-specific commercial growth and disruption.
COSOL are IBM Gold Partners and IBM Maximo specialists with over 15 years experience helping asset intensive organisations implement and upgrade their EAM systems as part of their asset information ecosystem.
