Construction equipment giant Caterpillar has unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed to improve job site safety and boost efficiency as the industry grapples with labor shortages.
Speaking Wednesday on FOX Business’ “The Claman Countdown” from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas, Caterpillar CEO Joseph Creed highlighted the company’s new Cat AI Assistant, which he said helps shorten training time for new operators while improving productivity and safety.
“Some of the things I hear when I talk to customers are, ‘Hey, we have a shortage of operators, and we have new operators that aren’t skilled and experienced, so the training time is really hard,'” Creed said. “And then, most importantly, safety. So the Cat AI Assistant helps address all these things.
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“It’s essentially a personal assistant for an operator in the cab or a technician that wants to fix the machine.”
Powered by NVIDIA’s Riva speech models, the Cat AI Assistant allows operators to ask questions in real time and receive tailored recommendations related to equipment operation, parts and maintenance, according to Caterpillar.
During a demonstration using a simulated construction site at CES, Creed showed FOX Business how operators can speak directly to the machine to activate safety features in real time, including protections that help machines avoid overhead power lines.
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“So, these are power lines that you would see on a construction site,” Creed said. “That’s a challenge for our customers. So, it’s a safety concern if the boom hits it. It also can set the job back by days or weeks.”
Using voice commands, operators can ask the AI assistant about available safety features and set height limits that prevent an excavator’s boom from rising too high, helping crews avoid contact with power lines.
The technology can also recognize people on job sites and help keep them out of harm’s way, Creed said.
“The Cat AI Assistant, paired with autonomy and autonomous systems that now we can do on the edge with our partnership with NVIDIA, really just is a game changer when it comes to recognition, safety, keeping people safe, making sure they return home to their families,” he said.
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At CES 2026, Creed also took the keynote stage to showcase how artificial intelligence is shaping the next generation of heavy equipment.
Caterpillar and NVIDIA announced an expanded collaboration aimed at accelerating the use of AI across machines and production systems, according to the construction company’s website.
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