AI in OT, PLC and SCADA: 24 questions answered
The questions plant managers, automation engineers and IT teams ask us most, with short answers and a link to the full guide.
AI in OT means using AI models on data and tools from the plant floor: alarms, trends, PLC and SCADA projects, manuals and work orders. Start with two or three daily tasks, give the AI read-only access to the data those tasks need, keep a person in control of every change, and prove it on one line before rolling out. SIM Solutions, an engineering company in Mechelen, Belgium, implements AI in IT and OT and does the PLC, SCADA and E&I engineering underneath.
Getting started
What does AI in OT mean in practice?
AI models that read plant data and engineering projects and answer in plain language: the first cause of a line stop, the likely cause of a fault, what an old PLC block does, or a draft of new code or screens. See how to implement AI in OT.
Where should a plant start with AI?
With two or three tasks where operators, technicians or engineers lose time every day. Give the AI read-only access to the data those tasks need, agree success measures in advance and pilot on one line.
Do we need a data platform or a new SCADA first?
No. Start from the data you already have: SCADA alarms, historian trends, maintenance exports, PLC projects and documents.
Who can implement AI in OT for us in Belgium?
SIM Solutions in Mechelen implements AI in industrial companies, in IT and OT, from assessment to roll-out, and does the PLC, SCADA and E&I engineering itself. See AI implementation or mail info@simsolutions.be.
Is there funding for an AI project in Flanders?
VLAIO supports development and research projects and offers an increased investment deduction. See subsidie voor een AI-project in Vlaanderen (Dutch).
AI for PLC and SCADA engineering
Can AI write PLC code?
Yes, as a draft. AI can write SCL code, explain existing blocks, find where tags are used and write documentation. An engineer must review, compile and test the code in simulation before it reaches a real controller. See AI for PLC programming.
Which AI tools exist for Siemens TIA Portal?
Siemens offers the Industrial Copilot for TIA Portal (announced April 2024) and the Eigen Engineering Agent (declared production-ready in April 2026). General models from Anthropic and OpenAI can also work with TIA Portal through connectors, such as our AI toolkit.
Should AI write safety code?
No. Safety programs (F-blocks) and decisions about safety functions stay with qualified engineers.
Will AI replace PLC programmers?
Not as it is used today. It removes repetitive work and speeds up reading old projects; the engineer still owns the design, the review and the test.
Can AI convert a WinCC project to Ignition?
AI can scan the WinCC V7 project, draft the tag-to-UDT mapping and draft Ignition views. It is still re-engineering: an engineer checks every screen, alarm and script. See the WinCC to Ignition guide.
What does an AI Engineering Assistant do?
It reads PLC and SCADA projects, explains blocks, finds tag usage, generates code to your standard, tests it in S7-PLCSIM Advanced and drafts SCADA screens. See the Engineering Assistant.
Connecting AI to plant data
Can I connect ChatGPT or Claude to my PLC?
Not directly, and not for writing. Connect AI to plant data through a read-only layer outside the control network, using OPC UA or the SCADA/historian, and a controlled interface such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP). See how to connect AI to PLC and SCADA data.
What is MCP and why does it matter for industry?
The Model Context Protocol is an open standard, introduced by Anthropic in November 2024, for connecting AI assistants to tools and data. It lets you give an AI a short list of defined, logged actions instead of broad network access. Inductive Automation announced an MCP module for Ignition in September 2025.
Does our plant data go to the cloud?
That depends on the models and setup you choose. Agree which data may leave the site and use the business offerings of the AI vendors, which do not train on business data by default.
Can the AI change setpoints?
Not by default. A write path is a separate design with its own limits, approvals and safeguards, and many plants decide never to allow it.
Safety and rules
Is AI in OT safe?
It can be, if you follow the joint guidance of 3 December 2025 by CISA, NSA, FBI, BSI, NCSC-NL and partners: check that AI is the right tool, push data out of OT rather than letting AI reach in, keep a human in the loop and make sure the process fails safe. See Secure AI in OT.
Does the EU AI Act apply to an AI assistant in our plant?
The AI Act applies in stages; general application started on 2 August 2026. After the 2026 Digital Omnibus, high-risk rules apply from 2 December 2027 (Annex III) and 2 August 2028 (AI in products such as machinery). See AI Act and Machinery Regulation dates.
What does NIS2 mean for PLC and SCADA in Belgium?
NIS2 applies in Belgium since 18 October 2024, with the CCB as authority. For OT: asset inventory, segmentation, controlled remote access, backups of PLC and SCADA projects, patching and incident reporting. See NIS2 and OT in Belgium.
Migrations and platforms
When is the Siemens S7-300 end of life?
Siemens states that S7-300 and ET 200M entered phase-out on 1 October 2023, are supplied only as spare parts since 1 October 2025 and can no longer be ordered from 1 October 2033. See S7-300 end of life.
Ignition or WinCC?
WinCC fits an all-Siemens plant engineered in TIA Portal. Ignition fits mixed PLC brands, many users or sites, and browser or mobile access, because it is licensed per server with unlimited clients, tags and projects. See Ignition vs WinCC.
How do you migrate WinCC to Ignition?
In five steps: a read-only scan, a tag-to-UDT mapping, a rebuild on a development gateway, tests, and a planned cutover with WinCC kept as a fallback.
Can WinCC and Ignition run side by side?
Yes, during testing both can read the same controllers. Writing from two systems needs clear rules about which system is in control.
Working with SIM Solutions
What does SIM Solutions do?
SIM Solutions BV (Mechelen, Belgium, founded 2017) implements AI in industrial companies in IT and OT, and delivers E&I design, Siemens PLC programming in TIA Portal, SCADA in Ignition and WinCC, legacy migrations and commissioning, in Europe and Asia.
Can we see the AI assistants working?
Yes. Watch the one-minute demos of the Operator, Maintenance and Engineering Assistants, or ask for a technical call at info@simsolutions.be.
Sources
A new line, an upgrade, or AI for your plant?
Tell us about your project and we will set up a technical call.
2800 Mechelen, Belgium E-mail: info@simsolutions.be Enterprise no. / VAT: BE 0680.932.773