NANJING, China, Oct. 26 (APP):Nanjing Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (NISCO), in collaboration with Huawei and ecosystem partners, has commercially deployed the world’s first steel industry model powered by swarm intelligence, marking a major step toward the digital and intelligent transformation of steel manufacturing.
The YuanYe Steel Large Model (YuanYe) has been deployed across multiple industrial scenarios at scale, enabling NISCO to shift its core operations from experience-based practices toward data-driven decision-making and coordinated intelligence.
NISCO has established a strong digital foundation by adopting Huawei technologies, including Ascend, Kunpeng, Huawei Cloud Stack and Pangu models. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into key production stages, including ironmaking, steelmaking, rolling and quality inspection, supporting the development of greener and higher-end steel production facilities.
Unlike conventional general-purpose AI models, YuanYe combines multiple AI models with metallurgical mechanism models specific to the steel industry. Its dual-drive architecture integrates probabilistic computing with precise, science-based decision-making to address complex industrial requirements.
The model draws on extensive sensing data collected from millions of operational technology (OT) data points across 26 business domains. This data foundation enables real-time digital twin mapping at NISCO’s intelligent operations center, improving production visibility, process control and intelligent assessment.
According to the company, all of NISCO’s key equipment is now connected and digitally controlled, while research and development cycles for new products have been reduced by 50 percent. The digital transformation has also helped the company cut annual costs by more than 100 million yuan (approximately $15 million).
By October 2026, NISCO had launched 25 business agents covering applications such as visual quality inspection, process optimization, production scheduling and operations management. The company has also deployed more than 300 AI models across its plants, alongside over 1,000 low-code agents and lightweight applications independently developed by frontline employees.
Li Jinyan, General Manager of NISCO’s Digital and Intelligent Integrated Development Department and Director of its AI Research Institute, said the purpose of digital and intelligent transformation was to enhance human potential rather than replace workers.
He said the initiative aimed to free employees from the burden of handling vast amounts of data and enable them to focus their creativity on higher-value tasks.
Cheng Yongfu, Senior Industrial Solution Expert at Huawei’s Steel & Non-ferrous Business Unit, said industrial AI could deliver lasting value when expanded beyond individual applications to achieve comprehensive integration across production, operations and management.
Looking ahead, NISCO plans to work with Huawei and other partners to explore dedicated data centers for smart steel plants as AI deployment expands and computing requirements increase.
The company is pursuing an AI-native three-tier architecture comprising an AI-native operating system, AI-native factory and AI-native enterprise, with YuanYe serving as a key technological foundation.
The initiative is expected to support the development of high-quality steel manufacturing while providing a scalable and replicable model for the digital and intelligent transformation of the global steel and manufacturing industries.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
