Ford rehired over 300 veteran engineers after its AI-powered quality checks fell short of expectations.

Ford implemented AI systems, including about 900 cameras, to automate inspections across its plants in order to cut costs and boost productivity.

Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, said the AI tools depend on the training data and that veteran engineers are needed to train and mentor the systems.

Jim Farley, Ford chief executive, previously noted AI's potential to increase margins, while COO Kumar Galhotra said AI would be deployed across the entire industrial system.

Ford returned to the top of the JD Power Initial Quality Study, a ranking it last held in 2010, attributing the improvement to a talent refresh that included replacing senior leaders and rehiring experienced engineers.

Ford says the reinstated engineers will help refine its AI tools, but the company has not disclosed how the AI failures will affect future automation plans.