Industrial software company IFS has launched a security, governance and operational foundation that it says lets enterprises deploy AI agents to carry out industrial processes in sectors like aerospace.
The Industrial AI Harness is the operational foundation of IFS Intelligence and the IFS Loops platform, and is designed to let AI work within the permissions, policies and operational boundaries that govern a business, according to IFS.
The Harness inherits identities, access controls and business rules from connected systems, using IFS Cloud as the foundation source, so users can only access information and execute actions they are authorized to use. IFS said no raw data is sent to external AI providers and that the system works across AI models and services rather than locking customers into one provider.
Human-in-the-loop workflows let recommendations be reviewed, approved or declined, and IFS said customers can progress from copilot assistance to recommendations and then autonomous action, with escalation when the AI is uncertain.
The Harness comprises six components: planning and orchestration, skills and connectors, memory and context, guardrails and permissions, verification and escalation, and observability and auditability. Guardrails enforce identity, approvals and limits on risky actions, while observability logs every decision and action so it can be traced after the fact.
Toby Rees, global head of AI trust at IFS, said, “From auditable processes and transparent governance to the ethical use of AI, IFS treats trust as a fundamental requirement, not an ambition. As organisations scale AI across critical assets, supply chains, service operations, and enterprise workflows, success will depend on the ability to combine intelligence with context, control, accountability, and operational discipline.”
AI adoption and governance
Meanwhile a survey by IFS revealed that frontline teams are adopting AI faster than their leadership is putting governance in place.
The survey of more than 2,200 senior leaders and workers across 14 countries, called the IFS Industrial Index, found that 43% of frontline teams have trained and introduced AI agents into daily operations over the past 12 months and 37% having upskilled peers to use industrial AI tools.
However, it also found that only 11% have control mechanisms for AI use with sensitive or export-controlled data, and only 4% require human oversight or approval of AI-supported decisions.
Cathie Hall, chief product and customer officer at IFS, said, “The factory floor is moving at full speed. Workers see the operational insights.
“The real challenge for leadership isn’t driving adoption, it’s having the insights to clear legacy roadblocks and delivering the secure industrial harness, data pipelines, and governance required to scale these wins safely and globally,” she added.
