Akkodis on Informa TechTarget: To Justify Physical AI Costs, Choose High-Value Use Cases
Physical AI is starting to drive real business value in manufacturing and healthcare — but the ROI calculus is subtle. Akkodis Group Chief AI Officer Joshua Morley on why utilization decides whether the investment case holds up.
2 minutes
6th of October, 2026
The ROI Equation Behind Physical AI
Informa TechTarget spoke with Akkodis Group Chief AI Officer Joshua Morley for a feature on justifying the cost of physical AI. Using a manufacturing example, such as inspecting for microfractures during heat treatment, Morley explained how a mobile, camera-equipped robotic arm can inspect every part instead of a sample, creating a digital record that catches a process drifting out of spec before it produces scrap. His broader advice: start with a defined operational problem and a way to measure the value realized, since many businesses stop at productivity gains without translating them into real business impact. The investment case, he said, comes down to one equation: multiply utilization, degree of automation and task value, then subtract deployment cost and if any one of those multipliers low, it collapses regardless of the technology.
"Utilization is the crucial component. If it's such an intermittent job, or it's not something that can be scaled, then the economics don't make sense."
Joshua Morley, Group Chief AI Officer, Akkodis