Honeywell CEO Vimal Kapur on AI and the Industrial Shift

Joining T. Rowe Price CIO Eric Veiel, Kapur outlined the rationale behind Honeywell’s recent transformation. By streamlining operations, the company aims to sharpen its focus on industrial automation and the integration of AI across critical sectors, including semiconductor manufacturing, energy grids, and large-scale data centers. Kapur emphasized that the true value of AI in these environments depends on proprietary industrial data and deep domain expertise rather than general-purpose algorithms.

Agentic systems, according to Kapur, offer a practical solution to persistent skilled-labor shortages by automating complex tasks within facilities. Veiel noted that these insights are vital for investors tracking the transition of AI from software-heavy applications into the physical economy. The discussion highlights how human judgment remains a central component in managing these systems, even as industrial environments become increasingly autonomous.