Can AI write PLC code? AI for Siemens TIA Portal, explained
Yes, AI can draft PLC code and documentation today. The question is how you control it. This is what is available and how we use it.
AI can draft SCL code, explain existing blocks, find where tags are used and write documentation for Siemens TIA Portal projects. Siemens itself offers AI in TIA Portal: the Industrial Copilot generates SCL code (announced April 2024) and the Eigen Engineering Agent was declared production-ready for TIA Portal users in April 2026. General AI models can also work with TIA Portal through connectors. In every case an engineer must review, compile and test the code in simulation before it reaches a real controller.
What is available
| Option | What it does | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Siemens Industrial Copilot for TIA Portal | Generates SCL code and basic visualisations; TIA Portal takes the suggestion directly | Announced 22 Apr 2024; Engineering Copilot TIA available on Siemens Xcelerator since July 2024 |
| Siemens AI agents and Eigen Engineering Agent | Agents that write automation code, configure systems and iterate until benchmarks are met | AI agents introduced 12 May 2025; Eigen declared production-ready 20 Apr 2026 |
| General AI models connected to TIA Portal | Models from Anthropic or OpenAI read and write projects through TIA Portal Openness, for example via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) | MCP introduced by Anthropic on 25 Nov 2024 |
What AI does well, and what it does not
- Good: explaining old blocks, finding tag usage, generating repetitive code from a standard, writing comments and documentation, converting STEP 7 logic as a first draft
- Good: checking a project against naming rules and your block library
- Weak: understanding the real process without context; it needs your functional description
- Not for AI: safety programs (F-blocks) and decisions about safety functions
Our review rules
- Standard first. We give the AI your block library, naming rules and templates; code that does not follow them is rejected.
- Offline only. The AI works on an offline project or a copy; it never downloads to a real controller.
- Compile and test. Every block is compiled and tested in S7-PLCSIM Advanced against test cases.
- Engineer review. An engineer reviews the diff and signs off, like any code from a colleague.
- Version control. Changes are tracked so you can see what came from AI and what was changed afterwards.
Our Engineering Assistant works this way with TIA Portal V16 to V20, S7-PLCSIM Advanced, WinCC V7 and Ignition.
Questions we get
Will AI replace PLC programmers?
Not in the way 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.
Which TIA Portal versions does this work with?
Our tooling works with TIA Portal V16 to V20. For Siemens' own copilot, check the requirements on Siemens' site.
Can AI migrate our STEP 7 projects?
It can produce a first draft and the documentation, which saves time. The migration still needs engineering: hardware changes, instructions that behave differently and testing. See S7-300 end of life.
Sources
- Siemens: Scaling roll-out of generative AI with Siemens Industrial Copilot (press release) (22 Apr 2024)
- Siemens: Siemens Industrial Copilot expanded, adopted by thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering (press release) (12 Nov 2024)
- Siemens: Siemens introduces AI agents for industrial automation (press release) (12 May 2025)
- Siemens: Siemens brings AI to the physical world with Eigen Engineering Agent (press release) (20 Apr 2026)
- Anthropic: Introducing the Model Context Protocol (25 Nov 2024)
A new line, an upgrade, or AI for your plant?
Tell us about your project and we will set up a technical call.
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