By Stuart Adams – UK Managing Director at global CAD/CAM leader Mastercam
From the Chancellor’s push for productivity gains to the Advanced Manufacturing Plan’s £4.5 billion pledge[1], UK policymakers are united on one goal – boosting British industry.
But the real challenge lies in implementation. How do you scale manufacturing output without enough skilled people to power the machines? How do you prepare a workforce for the age of AI, when many manufacturers are still battling basic recruitment gaps?
There’s been no shortage of headlines warning that automation will replace jobs. But the reality on the ground, especially in engineering and CNC machining, tells a different story.
The future of UK manufacturing isn’t about replacing people with AI. It’s about using AI to supercharge the people we already have.
Beyond the hype: real AI, real workshops
It is now more important than ever for software providers to engage more meaningfully with engineers, colleges, and machine shops across the UK. This will help to establish a better understanding of what actually moves the dial on shop floors – tools that are intuitive, that make sense in context, and that help teams hit deadlines without compromising quality.
That’s exactly why there is a shift toward assistive AI that lives inside the CAM environment and helps programmers write faster, cleaner, more accurate toolpaths. It doesn’t rewrite your entire job. It suggests the next logical step. It doesn’t guess. It learns from decades of machining best practice.
It’s like pairing your apprentice with a 30-year veteran who never sleeps. That’s the thinking behind Mastercam Copilot, an AI assistant built directly into the CAM programming environment. It uses voice commands and natural language to help programmers set feeds and speeds, create machine groups, and navigate the software, meeting users where they are rather than asking them to learn a new system.
The result? Junior programmers can become confident contributors faster. Senior engineers save time on repetitive processes and focus on what they do best. And manufacturers get more jobs done, with fewer mistakes, in less time.
Skills gaps you can’t ignore
The skills gap isn’t new, but it’s becoming harder to work around, with reports suggesting that the UK is short more than 170,000 workers annually across STEM fields[2]. At the same time, entry into vocational training remains stubbornly flat, and young people often have no visibility into what a modern machining career looks like. And even when talent does come through the door, upskilling takes time.
Learning to programme toolpaths safely, efficiently, and within the tolerances modern production demands doesn’t happen overnight. It takes months, often years, to get from theory to productivity. That’s where assistive AI can have real impact.
Training on the job, not just in the classroom
One of the biggest challenges facing UK manufacturers is how to deliver continuous learning without taking operators off the job. The apprenticeship model is effective, but limited by availability, funding, and regional disparities. What’s needed is a system that blends hands-on experience with real-time guidance.
That’s what AI is making possible. By embedding help directly into the tools people use every day, we can shorten learning curves, reduce waste, and give confidence to early-career professionals who might otherwise feel overwhelmed.
Levelling the playing field for SMEs
While large OEMs often have dedicated training teams and simulation labs, smaller manufacturers don’t have that luxury. They need tools that empower workers to learn while delivering. They need solutions that fit inside tight production schedules, limited budgets, and lean teams.
An AI-enabled CAM add-on, up2parts is a good example of this in practice. It automates feature recognition, generates work plans and cycle time estimates, and centralises files, giving small-to-medium shops the kind of quoting and workflow automation that was previously only accessible to larger operations with dedicated engineering teams.
By offering AI support directly within the CAM software, firms stay competitive – especially in sectors like aerospace, automotive, and medical devices, where precision is everything and tolerances are non-negotiable.
This is particularly relevant as the UK continues its push for regional reindustrialisation. If we’re serious about levelling up areas like the Midlands and North East, we need to give manufacturers the tools, and people, to make it happen.
Human and machine, not human vs machine
AI in manufacturing isn’t just about acceleration. It’s about amplification. It doesn’t replace instinct, experience, or craftsmanship – it enhances them.
The most powerful machines in the world are still controlled by people. And when those people are equipped with AI that understands the job, respects the process, and offers the right help at the right time, the result is transformative.
As we move deeper into 2026, the UK must stop asking whether AI will steal jobs and start asking how we can use it to fill the gaps we already have. Because the factories of the future aren’t fully automated. They’re fully supported by technology, yes, but more importantly, by the people who know how to use it.
