Application of artificial intelligence to solve problems in mechanical engineering technology

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the application of artificial intelligence technologies to address applied challenges in modern mechanical engineering, with a focus on the development of a prototype automatic visual inspection system. Based on an analysis of current scientific and industry literature, an analytical review of key areas of AI implementation in mechanical engineering was conducted. It was established that AI has evolved from an automation tool to a key component of intelligent manufacturing systems, capable of solving cognitive problems and enabling the transition to predictive and adaptive control models. A systematic classification of mechanical engineering problems solved using AI was developed and presented, structured by stages of the product lifecycle (PLM). This clearly demonstrates the broad impact of this technology — from generative design and predictive maintenance to logistics optimization and service analytics. A detailed analysis of existing commercial solutions and successful implementation cases was conducted. It was revealed that predictive maintenance (PdM) and automatic visual inspection (AVI) systems based on computer vision are the most mature and cost-effective. A comparison of platforms from leading vendors (Siemens, Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes) showed a trend toward deep integration of AI into unified PLM ecosystems, creating digital, continuous data flows.