See how Nissan is using AI in its Canton, MS, manufacturing plant

See how Nissan is using AI in its Canton, MS, manufacturing plant

The 23-year-old Canton Nissan Assembly Plant continues to make a major impact on Mississippi employment and specifically in Central Mississippi and Madison County.

The company is also a major player in technology.

One way that is happening is the by the efficiencies that have built into the business model and in the way the vehicles have been manufactured over the years.

Currently, the Canton plant produces approximately 170,000 vehicles a year but has the capacity to produce as many as 400,000.

Reports that many types of vehicles other than the Frontier and Altima that could be built in Canton persist, and officials at the Madison County facility said Nissan continues to explore those options.

Nissan has implemented artificial intelligence into is production facility in a way that allows workers to produce vehicles more safely and efficiently. In recent years, Nissan invested $1.5 million to install more than 200 cameras on the production line analyze how work is done across the facility.

The 3,000-employee, 1,400-acre Canton plant will continue moving forward with technology plans to reinvent the scope of its projects, officials said.

AI has paid dividends for Nissan

Chi Amaechi, a process engineer at Nissan, said the investment paid off almost instantly as the company recouped more than $2 million in savings after just one year.

"While so many are worried that artificial intelligence is going to take jobs away from companies, this is just the opposite," Amaechi told the Clarion Ledger. "The technology can instantly identify ways for employees to be more efficient. If a employee is having to take too many steps to get to a tool, we can know that and make sure we get the tools closer to the employee. That saves time."

Analyzing ways to make the workplace safer

Amaechi also talked about safety measures that are being implemented.

"The technology can identify when someone bends in an improper way or at an angle that would make it more likely for them to get injured," she said. "We can then talk with them and show them the proper angle to use, and that keeps them healthy, which is good for them, but it also allows them to stay at work without getting injured."

Amaechi said the program has been a success, and the company expects to expand it over time.

"It has been a great addition," she said. "We look forward to seeing the program grow."

This story is the second of a series of stories on the Canton Nissan plant.

Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.