UPDATE 1-Siemens and Microsoft to work together on AI project

(Adds detail, CEO comment)

ZURICH, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Siemens and Microsoft on Tuesday announced a joint project to use artificial intelligence to increase productivity and human-machine collaboration.

The Siemens Industrial Copilot scheme will see the two companies work together to use generative AI for the manufacturing, transportation and healthcare industries.

German automotive supplier Schaeffler AG is among the companies to have adopted the Siemens Industrial Copilot, Siemens said.

No cash amounts related to the partnership, which will also supply Siemens itself, were disclosed.

The project will create AI copilots to assist staff at customer companies as they design new products, and organise production and maintenance.

It examines information gathered by Siemens and helps customers quickly create, improve and debug complex automation codes and shorten simulation times at their factories and other facilities.

Schaeffler has been using generative AI to help its engineers programme industrial automation systems like robots. It intends to use the Siemens Industrial Copilot to reduce production downtimes at its plants.

Tasks that previously took weeks to complete could now be completed in a matter of minutes, Siemens said.

"This has the potential to revolutionize the way companies design, develop, manufacture, and operate," said Siemens Chief Executive Roland Busch.

"Making human-machine collaboration more widely available allows engineers to accelerate code development, increase innovation and tackle skilled labour shortages." (Reporting by John Revill, Editing by Friederike Heine)