Ford, now ranked No. 1 in JD Power’s initial quality ranking, is opening up about its struggles with automated systems in production and design. The company underestimated the value of institutional knowledge and over-relied on AI, leading to a drop in vehicle quality. To address this, Ford has hired over 350 experienced engineers, many of whom are former employees, to retrain and mentor younger engineers. The company has also improved data collection and AI training to prevent similar issues in the future. Why it matters: This admission highlights the importance of human expertise and institutional knowledge in the development of AI-driven systems, particularly in high-stakes industries like automotive manufacturing.