By Cassandra Balentine
While artificial intelligence (AI) is definitely not a short-term trend, Mike Agness, EVP, Americas, Hybrid Software, doesn’t believe the future of AI in print workflows will be utilized in the same way as a consumer AI application. “You are going to have to train your AI either yourself, or with the help of an integrator, because print or packaging—and frankly almost any industry—is too small. AI can take some of our issues or problems and make them easier to work around, such as pulling data from emails and being able to place it into a production workflow.”
Kevin Roman, director of professional services, Production Print Pro Services, Canon U.S.A., Inc., believes AI is a foundational component of the future of workflow automation. “When applied in practical, production-driven use cases, AI may enable smarter job handling, predictive maintenance, including intelligent AI service agents that guide operators to faster issue resolution, capacity optimization, and continuous improvement.”
Hans Sep, product line manager, Fiery, LLC, adds that AI in print workflow is not a trend—it’s an inflection point. “Companies that viewed AI as experimental are now treating it as essential.”
This is different from past technology transitions for several reasons, according to Sep. “The labor crisis has no other solution. Unlike previous transitions driven by capability improvements, this one is driven by necessity. You can’t hire your way out of a 50 percent skilled labor shortage. The technology actually works now. Previous AI in print was rules engines with marketing language. Current AI can genuinely analyze document content and make useful decisions. The gap between promise and delivery has closed. Integration standards have matured—MQTT, REST APIs, and webhook architectures mean workflow systems can finally talk to enterprise systems without custom development. The technical barriers that kept print isolated are gone.”
“We are not following attractive, short-lived trends. We implement advancements within the application designed to provide real, lasting benefits to the user,” confirms Calvin Tuttle, product manager, ONYX Align, Onyx Graphics, Inc.
There is a massive barrier of trust to overcome when it comes to AI and rules-based automation. “Handing over the controls of sensitive, high-cost production workflows to an algorithm is far riskier than generating an image. Yet, this is exactly where the opportunity lies. The providers who succeed in making these autonomous systems reliable, and who learn to trust them, will reap the biggest rewards. They will achieve a level of efficiency and scalability that competitors relying on manual oversight cannot match,” admits Dmitry Sevostyanov, CEO, Customer’s Canvas.
While some of AI is hype, David Graves, CEO, Aleyant, sees real-world uses and believes its best use is breaking down knowledge for the regular person versus an industry expert. “It’s going to accelerate creativity and productivity, and when used correctly has the potential to significantly benefit the print industry as a whole.”
While AI and advanced automation are the future, not every AI feature represents genuine innovation. What is real and here to stay, according to Rick Aberle, founder/CEO, Propago LLC, is predictive analytics, automated laity control, and workflow automation.
“Anyone who views AI purely as a passing trend is underestimating the direction the industry is moving. There is certainly an element of experimentation happening across print, but these technologies are not going away. AI and similar capabilities are already becoming part of workflow automation, and their role continues to grow,” suggests Alex Bowell, managing director, Infigo.
The important distinction is how the technology is used. “AI should not exist as a standalone feature or a headline tool,” notes Bowell. Over time, he predicts that the most effective software vendors will make these technologies almost invisible. “When implemented well, AI won’t feel like a trend at all—it will be part of how the software works, and how print businesses operate more efficiently and at scale.”
Technologies such as AI, machine learning, and conversational interfaces are not short-term trends, but are best viewed as enabling technologies rather than replacements for workflow automation. “The future of workflow automation will be data driven, event-based, and modular. Automation platforms increasingly react in real time to data and system events, while still supporting human oversight where required. In regulated and production critical environments, determinism, transparency, and audit-ability remain essential,” adds Chris Odden, director, digital transformation and integrated solutions, software and strategic solutions, Commercial Industrial Printing Group, Ricoh USA, Inc.
Learn more about workflow trends in the March issue of Digital Output magazine.
Mar2026, Digital Output
