The Rise of Virtual Twins: How AI is Revolutionizing Engineering and Manufacturing
The future of engineering isn’t about building physical prototypes first – it’s about building them in software. A landmark partnership between NVIDIA and Dassault Systèmes, unveiled at 3DEXPERIENCE World, is accelerating this shift, promising to redefine how products are designed, factories are operated, and even scientific discoveries are made.
From Digital Designs to ‘World Models’
For decades, engineers have used digital models to visualize and test designs. Now, the focus is moving towards “world models” – AI-powered systems that simulate the behavior of products, factories, and complex systems with unprecedented accuracy. These aren’t just static representations; they’re dynamic, physics-based simulations capable of predicting outcomes and optimizing performance.
Dassault Systèmes, with its 3DEXPERIENCE platform serving over 45 million users, has long been a leader in virtual twin technology. The collaboration with NVIDIA aims to fuse accelerated computing and AI libraries with these virtual twins, enabling real-time digital workflows and AI companions to assist engineering teams.
AI as Infrastructure: The New Computing Stack
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang envisions a future where artificial intelligence is as fundamental as electricity or the internet. This means moving away from manually specified designs to systems that can generate, simulate, and optimize solutions in software at an industrial scale. This represents a fundamental reinvention of the computing stack.
According to Huang, this new approach will allow engineers to function at a scale 100 to 1,000 times – and eventually a million times – greater than before.
Applications Across Industries
The potential applications of this technology are vast, spanning multiple sectors:
Advancing Scientific Discovery
The NVIDIA BioNeMo platform, combined with BIOVIA science-validated world models, is accelerating the discovery of new molecules, and materials. This has implications for biopharma, materials science, and beyond.
AI-Driven Engineering Design
SIMULIA, leveraging NVIDIA CUDA-X and AI physics libraries, empowers engineers to accurately predict the behavior of designs, enabling faster prototyping and validation. This means fewer physical prototypes and reduced development costs.
The AI-Powered Factory of the Future
NVIDIA Omniverse, integrated with Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA Virtual Twin, is enabling the creation of autonomous, software-defined production systems. This represents a shift from static factories to dynamic, adaptable manufacturing environments.
Virtual Companions for Engineers
The 3DEXPERIENCE agentic platform, powered by NVIDIA AI technologies and Nemotron open models, will provide engineers with “virtual companions” – AI assistants that offer trusted, actionable intelligence and automate repetitive tasks.
Deploying AI Factories with Sovereign Cloud
Dassault Systèmes is deploying NVIDIA-powered AI factories on three continents through its OUTSCALE sovereign cloud. This allows customers to leverage the power of AI although maintaining data residency and security, addressing critical concerns for many organizations.
Amplifying, Not Replacing, Human Ingenuity
Both Dassault Systèmes CEO Pascal Daloz and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang emphasized that the goal isn’t to replace engineers, but to amplify their capabilities. By automating exploratory tasks and providing AI-driven insights, engineers can focus on creativity and innovation.
Daloz stated that engineers want to “invent the future,” not simply automate the past.
FAQ
What is a virtual twin? A virtual twin is a digital replica of a physical asset, process, or system. It allows for simulation, analysis, and optimization without the need for physical prototypes.
What are ‘world models’? World models are AI-powered systems that simulate the behavior of complex systems based on physics and scientific principles.
How will this partnership benefit engineers? The partnership will provide engineers with AI-powered tools and virtual companions that automate tasks, accelerate design cycles, and enable exploration of larger design spaces.
Is AI going to replace engineers? No. The focus is on augmenting human capabilities, not replacing them. AI will handle repetitive tasks, allowing engineers to focus on creativity and innovation.
Where can I learn more about this collaboration? You can explore demos and learn more at GTC San Jose from March 16-19, specifically at Florence Hu-Aubigny’s session on virtual twins and booth 1841 in the Industrial AI and Robotics pavilion.
Did you realize? Virtual twins are becoming “knowledge factories” – places where knowledge is created, tested, and trusted before anything is built in the physical world.
Pro Tip: Explore NVIDIA Omniverse and Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform to understand the capabilities of virtual twin technology and how it can be applied to your industry.
What are your thoughts on the future of AI-powered engineering? Share your insights in the comments below!