Ford Rehires Veteran Engineers After AI Quality Systems Fall Short

By: Harsh Vardhan

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Updated on: 29-Jun-2026 12:00 PM

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Ford has rehired hundreds of experienced engineers after its artificial intelligence and automated quality systems failed to meet expectations. The company reports that this move has already improved vehicle quality and reduced costs. Ford now ranks highest among mainstream brands in the latest JD Power Initial Quality Survey.

Key Highlights

• Ford rehired about 350 veteran engineers after AI quality systems failed to meet expectations.
• Veteran engineers now mentor staff and help retrain AI tools to improve vehicle quality.
• Ford ranks highest among mainstream brands in the latest JD Power Initial Quality Survey.
• Company added over 100,000 AI-powered validation tests to strengthen software reliability.

AI Systems Did Not Meet Expectations

According to Bloomberg, Ford rehired about 350 veteran engineers over the past three years. These include former employees and experts from supplier companies. The company had relied heavily on automation and AI, expecting these technologies to maintain high product quality. However, the systems did not deliver the desired results.

Charles Poon, Ford's vice-president of vehicle hardware engineering, said the company overestimated AI's capabilities. He explained that simply introducing AI and using existing design requirements was not enough to ensure high quality. Poon emphasized that AI is a valuable tool, but its effectiveness depends on the quality of information used to train it.

Poon also noted that Ford did not do enough to retain the knowledge of its most experienced engineers before many left the company. As a result, the AI systems lacked the practical expertise needed to identify potential issues early in the development process.

Veteran Engineers Lead Quality Improvements

To address these shortcomings, Ford brought back more than 350 veteran engineers. Internally, these specialists are known as "gray beard" engineers. They now mentor younger employees, help retrain AI tools, and identify quality problems before vehicles reach the factory floor.

Kumar Galhotra, Ford's chief operating officer, said the company had relied increasingly on automated quality systems without achieving the desired outcomes. He described the veteran engineers as central to Ford's turnaround strategy. These engineers lead mandatory quality reviews and help shift the company from fixing problems after they appear to preventing them in the first place.

Galhotra stated, "We're moving from that find-and-fix mentality to preventing issues before they occur." He added, "Stop admiring the problem and start solving it."

Broader Changes Across Ford

Ford's changes extend beyond vehicle hardware. The company reports that its software, manufacturing, and supply-chain teams now collaborate more closely to catch issues earlier in development. Ford has also established a dedicated 40-member software quality assurance team to improve software reliability before vehicles reach customers.

Ford is not abandoning AI. Instead, it is improving the technology by incorporating better data from experienced engineers. The company has added over 100,000 AI-powered validation tests. These tests identify edge cases and stress-test vehicle software under various conditions.

According to Ford, the automated testing framework allows engineers to quickly revalidate software when late changes occur. This process ensures that problems are detected before vehicles are delivered to customers.