ABB has launched ABB Ability Augmented Operator at ADIPEC 2026, Pipeline & Gas Journal reported on Nov. 3, 2026. The tool detects anomalies, shows how similar situations were handled before, forecasts process variables and simulates outcomes, while leaving the final decision with the human operator.
That order is the point. Rehearse first, decide second, act third. An operator who can see a likely outcome before committing to a move is not being replaced by the system. The operator is being given time to think, inside a process that normally punishes hesitation.
Rehearsal is the right order.
This is also the closest analogue to operational intelligence done well: a layer on existing control systems that uses data the plant already produces, surfaces it at the moment of decision, and keeps accountability with a named person. It does not require ripping out the control room to start. Plants building that kind of layer need operational intelligence on their existing systems, not another disconnected dashboard nobody opens during an upset.
If you run a process plant, judge tools like this by one test: in an anomaly, does the operator get a clearer picture and a safer choice, faster? If yes, the tool earns its place. If it only adds alerts, it adds noise.