Rockwell Automation Launches FactoryTalk Conductor Industrial AI-Native Orchestration Platform

SHANGHAI, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK), one of the world's leading companies in industrial automation, information and digital transformation, today announced the launch of FactoryTalk® Conductor™, a new AI-native orchestration platform designed to coordinate the various AI-driven work across the industrial automation lifecycle, laying an AI application foundation for workflows from system design to operations and maintenance. The software will make its public debut at Automation Fair® 2026 in Boston, where attendees will have the opportunity to be among the first to learn about it. Its commercial release is expected in the first quarter of 2027.

Rockwell Automation Launches FactoryTalk Conductor, an AI-Native Orchestration Platform for Industrial Automation

According to Rockwell's "2026 State of Smart Manufacturing Report," about one-third of manufacturing operations are currently AI-enhanced, and AI adoption is expected to accelerate further in the coming years. As manufacturers move from pilot experimentation with AI technologies to broader deployment, companies need practical ways to connect technology, workflows and expertise. FactoryTalk Conductor is designed to meet this need by integrating AI capabilities from different engineering environments into a single unified platform.

"The next phase of industrial AI development will center on orchestration and collaboration rather than being limited to individual AI assistants," said Craig Resnick, Vice President at ARC Advisory Group. "Manufacturers need to use AI technologies to coordinate tasks across different software systems, engineering tools and operational data. FactoryTalk Conductor integrates AI agents, workflows and industrial expertise into a unified platform, reflecting the industry's trend toward agent-driven automation."

FactoryTalk Conductor enables users to initiate engineering tasks through natural language and intelligently connects the software, AI capabilities and workflows needed to complete the task. At launch, the platform will integrate Studio 5000 Logix Designer®, Logix Echo™, Emulate3D® and FactoryTalk® Optix™, covering key workflows such as design, development, simulation and testing. Plans call for further integration of other products in Rockwell's software portfolio, including FactoryTalk® Design Studio™, FactoryTalk® Historian, Plex® and Fiix®, extending AI-driven workflows across the entire industrial automation lifecycle.

"What makes FactoryTalk Conductor unique is the combination of AI orchestration capabilities with trusted industrial expertise," said Matheus Bulho, Senior Vice President, Software and Control, Rockwell Automation. "Customers can use Rockwell-validated AI agents and skills to build capabilities that meet their own business needs and integrate AI capabilities into software, data and services. This lays a scalable foundation for improving engineering efficiency while ensuring that engineering work meets the standards required in industrial environments."

Key benefits include:

Support for enterprise-level AI application and governance: Enterprises can flexibly use AI services hosted by FactoryTalk Hub, or connect to their preferred large language models or small language models, including open-weight models that can be deployed on-premises, to help reduce the token costs of ongoing AI model use.

Accelerate engineering workflows across the automation lifecycle: Coordinate work across different stages such as design, development, testing and validation.

Reduce software application complexity: Support AI-driven workflows running across Studio 5000 Logix Designer, Logix Echo, Emulate3D, FactoryTalk Optix and other Rockwell solutions.

Manufacturer representatives attending Automation Fair® 2026 will have the opportunity to experience FactoryTalk Conductor demonstrations in multiple areas on the show floor, including the Technology and Services Showcase, Industry Pavilions, the Innovation Showcase, and dedicated technical sessions.

Click here to learn more about Rockwell's FactoryTalk Conductor and Automation Fair®.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FactoryTalk Conductor?

FactoryTalk Conductor is an AI-native orchestration platform that integrates AI agents, skills, workflows and automation software. Through natural language interaction and reliable industrial expertise, the platform helps engineers improve efficiency in areas such as system design, development and testing.

How is FactoryTalk Conductor different from AI Copilot?

Traditional AI assistants mainly help users with individual tasks, whereas FactoryTalk Conductor enables multiple AI agents, workflows and software tools to work together across engineering processes. This helps automate complex multi-step tasks involving multiple applications, data sources and teams.

When will FactoryTalk Conductor be available?

FactoryTalk Conductor will make its debut at Automation Fair® 2026 in Boston and is expected to be commercially available in the first quarter of 2027.

Which Rockwell products can FactoryTalk Conductor work with?

FactoryTalk Conductor is designed to support Rockwell's expanding software portfolio. At launch, the platform will support Studio 5000 Logix Designer®, Logix Echo™, Emulate3D® and FactoryTalk® Optix™. Plans call for the gradual integration of FactoryTalk® Design Studio™, FactoryTalk® Historian, Plex®, Fiix® and other solutions in the future.

Yes. In addition to using Rockwell-validated agents and skills, customers can create and deploy their own agents and skills to meet internal enterprise standards, industry requirements and specific engineering workflows.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) is one of the world's leading companies in industrial automation, information and digital transformation. We harness the imagination of people and the potential of technology to create more possibilities for humanity and make the world more productive and sustainable. Rockwell is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, and had approximately 27,000 employees in more than 100 countries and regions as of the end of fiscal year 2024. To learn more about how Rockwell helps industrial companies make the Connected Enterprise a reality, please visit www.rockwellautomation.com.