Putting frontline workers at the heart of AI transformation
What you’ll learn:
- Deskless workers, those without regular access to a workstation or computer, make up the vast majority of industrial operators.
- Safety is the most compelling reason to rethink how frontline teams communicate.
- AI can push timely, voice-first notifications through hands-free interfaces or ambient alerts.
- AI’s ability to surface contextual insights, where and when they matter, helps operators make better decisions in real time.
When most manufacturing leaders talk about the promise of artificial intelligence, they tend to default to familiar narratives, such as predictive maintenance, robotics that automate physical tasks, and analytics that extract insights to improve efficiency. These developments are valuable, but they overlook a fundamental truth: Manufacturing is run by human beings.
Machines may make decisions based on data, but it’s the frontline workforce that communicates, coordinates and makes real-time decisions in environments where screens may be impractical or unsafe.
The conversation must move beyond automation alone and start focusing on how AI can augment the way frontline workers communicate and make decisions. AI as a helper, not overlord.
Deskless workers, those without regular access to a workstation or computer, make up the vast majority of industrial operators. Globally, deskless labor accounts for roughly 80% of the workforce, including manufacturing, logistics, field services, health care and more. Yet, despite their dominance, their communication needs are still underserved by legacy tools.
Deskless labor accounts for roughly 80% of the workforce, yet their communication needs are still underserved by legacy tools.
In fact, over half of deskless workers have limited access to email. These employees don't need more emails, tablets, or static bulletin boards, they need direct, screen-free connection.
They rely on informal, quick communication to coordinate tasks, share updates and solve problems in real time. The goal isn't to force a computer onto them, but rather to empower them with smart, voice-first channels that mirror the immediacy of a tap on the shoulder.
Safety is still the first priority—and still at risk
Safety is the most compelling reason to rethink how frontline teams communicate. On a noisy plant floor or in a busy logistics yard, missing a critical alert can have consequences, from expensive quality defects to injury.
A recent report found that 81% of employees have personally experienced an emergency or safety incident at work, and 56% say a lack of timely communication contributed to feeling unsafe on the job, underscoring how traditional tools often fail to deliver critical safety alerts that enable workers to respond immediately.
These risks may increase further in a multilingual workforce, where safety messages, panic alerts or evacuation instructions may not be immediately understood by every worker. When communication breaks down across language barriers, even well-designed protocols could fail.
Consider how outdated communication causes confusion: A machine malfunction alert might go unheard during a shift change, a fire safety message could be lost amid ambient noise, or responders might not know who among them is closest or best equipped to intervene. The gap slows reaction times and shrinks the margin for error in environments where even seconds matter.
AI changes this dynamic. By continuously listening across channels and contextualizing signals, whether they're voice calls, alert beacons, sensor triggers or emergency panic alerts, AI can push timely, voice-first notifications through hands-free interfaces or ambient alerts.
This isn't about replacing human judgment but instead augmenting situational awareness so supervisors and operators can respond faster and smarter, potentially saving lives in critical moments.
Productivity: Heads-up and hands-free
Modern manufacturing floors are inherently hands-busy and screen-limited environments. Forklift drivers can’t pause to read an email and maintenance techs shouldn’t have to log into dashboards, or strip off work gloves, to get instructions.
This is where the current generation of AI-enabled communication tools shine. The result is a more seamless flow between information and action, eliminating unnecessary context switching while keeping the workforce aligned with real-time objectives.
Modern manufacturing floors are inherently hands-busy and screen-limited environments. Forklift drivers can’t pause to read email.
Beyond operational speed, this also enhances workforce empowerment. Workers who are informed, connected and able to act with context are more efficient and engaged, and that engagement translates into quality outcomes and lower error rates.
Better decisions in the moments that matter
Manufacturing decisions aren’t always made in calm environments with time to consult dashboards or detailed reports. Often, they are made on the floor, in the middle of a shift, when conditions are dynamic and seconds are important.
AI’s ability to surface contextual insights, where and when they matter, helps operators make better decisions in real time. Rather than waiting for a supervisor to interpret data and relay instructions, real-time communication tools can capture insights, not just transmit tasks, so workers receive targeted guidance that blends AI intelligence with the knowledge of experienced operators.
This capability doesn’t just reduce downtime, it raises the baseline quality of decision making across the workforce. It’s a form of digital augmentation that respects human expertise.
Looking forward: People-centric AI in manufacturing
The narrative around AI in manufacturing will continue to evolve, but if we limit the conversation to robots and analytics, we risk overlooking the most critical part of the industrial puzzle: the people who execute the work every day.
Investing in people-centric AI tools that improve how frontline workers communicate, coordinate and decide isn’t just a workplace enhancement, it’s a strategic imperative.
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It boosts safety, drives measurable productivity gains and helps organizations unlock the full value of their technology investments.
AI should be treated as operational infrastructure, much like power, ventilation or personal protective equipment, not an optional add-on.
When manufacturers build systems that place frontline workers at the center, they don’t just optimize processes, they strengthen the resilience and adaptability of the entire enterprise.
About the Author
Chris Chuang
Chris Chuang is the co-founder and CEO of Relay and has 25 years of experience in the technology and telecom industries. Prior to starting Relay, he was CEO of Republic Wireless, where he and his team scaled Republic from $0 to more than $100 million in annual revenue, drove it to profitability, and later sold it to DISH in 2021, using those funds to fuel the launch of Relay. Earlier in his career, he was a venture capital investor at Technology Crossover Ventures.