Caterpillar AI Assistant for equipment management. (Image source: Caterpillar)

Caterpillar Inc. has launched Cat AI Assistant, an AI-powered solution that transforms how customers interact with Caterpillar equipment and digital applications

The tool makes it easier to buy, maintain, manage, and operate machinery anywhere.

This launch marks a major advance in Industrial AI, combining data, AI, and heavy equipment to improve productivity, efficiency, and safety.

Built on over a century of Caterpillar innovation, Cat AI Assistant brings together the company’s digital applications and vast high-quality data into one simple conversational experience. Acting as a proactive partner, it leverages the full Caterpillar knowledge base to provide personalised insights and enable faster, smarter decisions.

“Caterpillar’s strong digital foundation, including our Helios data platform that manages over 16 petabytes of data, is helping us move fast and deploy new AI capabilities to help our customers succeed,” said Ogi Redzic, Caterpillar chief digital officer.

“Cat AI Assistant is a major leap forward in how Caterpillar supports customer success through best-in-class digital solutions, whether they’re working from corporate headquarters or at a remote jobsite.”

For fleet managers and business owners

Cat AI Assistant acts as an extra set of eyes on equipment, evolving alongside operations. It continually refines insights and recommendations to help turn unplanned incidents into planned maintenance and keep pace with growing businesses.

For technicians

Technicians can rely on Cat AI Assistant to quickly access the right section from thousands of instruction manuals using simple voice commands without interrupting their work. It offers step-by-step guidance, highlights common issues, and suggests any additional parts needed, saving both time and resources.

For machine operators

Operators benefit from a seamless connection throughout their workday from machine startup to shift handoff. Acting as an in-cab coach, Cat AI Assistant provides actionable insights to help operators work smarter and safer without switching screens or returning to the yard. Powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform, it performs speech recognition and advanced AI tasks at the edge and can even assist with directing the machine.

With industries facing talent shortages and increasingly complex jobsites, Cat AI Assistant supports less experienced operators in improving productivity while enabling Cat dealers to provide more tailored insights. The goal is to keep Caterpillar customers one step ahead.

Caterpillar plans to launch the off-board Cat AI Assistant in the first quarter of this year while in-cab applications are in final validation. These in-cab tools will help operators work more safely and efficiently. The full capabilities of Cat AI Assistant will be showcased on the main stage at CES 2026.

Caterpillar AI Assistant for equipment management. (Image source: Caterpillar)

Caterpillar Inc. has launched Cat AI Assistant, an AI-powered solution that transforms how customers interact with Caterpillar equipment and digital applications

The tool makes it easier to buy, maintain, manage, and operate machinery anywhere.

This launch marks a major advance in Industrial AI, combining data, AI, and heavy equipment to improve productivity, efficiency, and safety.

Built on over a century of Caterpillar innovation, Cat AI Assistant brings together the company’s digital applications and vast high-quality data into one simple conversational experience. Acting as a proactive partner, it leverages the full Caterpillar knowledge base to provide personalised insights and enable faster, smarter decisions.

“Caterpillar’s strong digital foundation, including our Helios data platform that manages over 16 petabytes of data, is helping us move fast and deploy new AI capabilities to help our customers succeed,” said Ogi Redzic, Caterpillar chief digital officer.

“Cat AI Assistant is a major leap forward in how Caterpillar supports customer success through best-in-class digital solutions, whether they’re working from corporate headquarters or at a remote jobsite.”

For fleet managers and business owners

Cat AI Assistant acts as an extra set of eyes on equipment, evolving alongside operations. It continually refines insights and recommendations to help turn unplanned incidents into planned maintenance and keep pace with growing businesses.

For technicians

Technicians can rely on Cat AI Assistant to quickly access the right section from thousands of instruction manuals using simple voice commands without interrupting their work. It offers step-by-step guidance, highlights common issues, and suggests any additional parts needed, saving both time and resources.

For machine operators

Operators benefit from a seamless connection throughout their workday from machine startup to shift handoff. Acting as an in-cab coach, Cat AI Assistant provides actionable insights to help operators work smarter and safer without switching screens or returning to the yard. Powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform, it performs speech recognition and advanced AI tasks at the edge and can even assist with directing the machine.

With industries facing talent shortages and increasingly complex jobsites, Cat AI Assistant supports less experienced operators in improving productivity while enabling Cat dealers to provide more tailored insights. The goal is to keep Caterpillar customers one step ahead.

Caterpillar plans to launch the off-board Cat AI Assistant in the first quarter of this year while in-cab applications are in final validation. These in-cab tools will help operators work more safely and efficiently. The full capabilities of Cat AI Assistant will be showcased on the main stage at CES 2026.

Dubai Maritime Authority (DMA), part of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, has announced the activation of its final marine traffic management plan for New Year’s Eve 2026, aimed at enhancing maritime safety and ensuring smooth navigation during peak celebrations.

The plan will be in force from 22:00 on 31 December 2025 until 02:00 on 1 January 2026, and will cover high-density maritime areas including Dubai Marina, Dubai Harbour and Palm Jumeirah. Measures include the introduction of a one-way navigation system before and after midnight, a temporary suspension of navigation during the transition period, and the closure of marine traffic beneath the Palm Jumeirah bridges throughout the operational window.

Under the plan, vessels will be classified by size, with designated routes and mandatory time windows assigned to each category to reduce congestion and minimise the risk of collisions.

Sheikh Dr Saeed bin Ahmed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Executive Director of Dubai Maritime Authority, said the measures reflect the Authority’s commitment to maintaining the highest maritime safety standards and ensuring navigational efficiency, in line with Dubai’s status as a global destination for major events.

He added that patrol and monitoring teams will operate continuously in coordination with relevant entities, with immediate legal action taken against violators. The plan also includes strict controls on anchoring and drifting, regulation of mooring areas, and full compliance with international regulations for the prevention of collisions at sea.

DMA emphasised that all vessel owners, maritime agents, marinas, yacht clubs and recreational boat operators must fully comply with the approved instructions to ensure a safe and organised maritime environment during the celebrations.

The Authority also advised marine users to closely monitor weather conditions, noting the potential for unstable conditions during New Year’s Eve.

In preparation for the festivities, DMA held a coordination workshop with strategic partners and marina operators to review operational readiness. Discussions covered vessel movement schedules, patrol arrangements, anchoring rules, emergency procedures and compliance mechanisms, ensuring integrated action and the smooth flow of marine traffic during the New Year 2026 celebrations.

In an era where artificial intelligence commands global attention, industrial giants like Emerson are redefining how businesses adapt, operate, and grow.

In a recent discussion, Emerson executives delved into their journey with industrial AI, particularly highlighting the transformative impact of acquiring AspenTech and the proactive embrace of AI in the Middle East.

Industrial AI, as Emerson’s vice president & general manager at Emerson for UAE, Oman, Yemen, and Lebanon, Widad Haddad explains, isn’t a new concept, although its potential has soared through technological advances and strategic alliances.

“If you look back, there’s a lot of technology that has been deployed and used in the past that is very similar to AI. It’s actually AI, but just not called AI,” Haddad reflects, referencing Emerson’s early use of advanced process control (APC).

The recent acquisition of AspenTech, an industry leader in advanced control systems and machine learning, has expanded Emerson’s AI capabilities, allowing for integrated solutions that enhance everything from field sensing to cloud-based analytics.

The tangible benefits of this shift are significant: greater operational efficiency, smarter decision-making, and rapid upskilling through digital twin technology.

“Redeployment of manpower is a huge advantage of AI, (as is) validation of information before decision making.

Decision making is done, is also a huge advantage of AI and also for education and training,” Haddad affirms.

She cites digital twin platforms (a blend of simulation and machine learning) which enable parallel workforce training even before a plant goes online, drastically reducing timelines and costs.

Crucially, Emerson’s AI journey isn’t just about technology, it’s about trust and meaningful business change.

Haddad notes, “The trust factor has to be there, right? We have to trust the technology to make sure we’re leveraging its power.” Mere adoption isn’t enough; success depends on rethinking workforce roles, processes, and trust in AI-driven insights.

Nowhere is the appetite for innovation more apparent than in the Middle East, says Haddad, with the UAE leading efforts to “go after things that they know will bring value towards their vision.”

Emerson’s regional footprint, from UAE headquarters to manufacturing in Saudi Arabia and a center of excellence in Qatar, enables the company to foster local talent, boost university partnerships, and ensure automation technology keeps pace with industry needs.

As industrial AI continues to reshape industries, Emerson’s story stands as a testament to the power of visionary leadership, regional innovation, and the drive to turn technology from buzzword to business advantage.