Caterpillar CEO Joe Creed demonstrates the Cat AI assistant, discusses cost implications and breaks down his 2026 strategy in ‘The Claman Countdown.’
Construction equipment giant Caterpillar has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed to improve workplace safety and improve efficiency as the industry faces 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 workers who don’t have the skills and experience, so the training period is really difficult,’ Creed said. “And then, the most important thing, is safety. So the Cat AI assistant helps to deal with all these things.
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Joe Creed, CEO of Caterpillar Inc., speaks during the 2026 CES event in Las Vegas Jan. 7, 2026. (Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Essentially a personal assistant for a cabin crew or a technician who wants to repair a machine.”
Powered by NVIDIA’s Riva speech models, the Cat AI Assistant allows operators to ask questions in real time and receive relevant recommendations related to machine operation, parts and maintenance, according to Caterpillar.
During a demonstration using a simulated construction environment 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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The Cat AI Assistant interface was demonstrated at the Caterpillar booth during the 2026 CES event in Las Vegas Jan. 7, 2026. (Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“So, these are the power lines you would see on a construction site,” Creed said. “That’s a challenge for our customers. So, the security concern when the boom hits it. It can also set back a job in days or weeks.”
Using voice commands, operators can ask the AI assistant about available safety features and set height limits that prevent the excavator’s boom from going too high, helping workers avoid contact with power lines.
The technology can also detect people in the workplace and help protect them from accidents, Creed said.
“The Cat AI assistant, combined with autonomous and autonomous systems that we can now do at the edge through our partnership with NVIDIA, is really a game changer when it comes to recognition, security, keeping people safe, making sure they get home to their families,” he said.
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Caterpillar excavator preview at CES 2026 Jan. 6, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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At CES 2026, Creed once again took the main stage to show how artificial intelligence is shaping the next generation of heavy equipment.
Caterpillar and NVIDIA have announced an expanded collaboration aimed at accelerating the use of AI across machines and manufacturing systems, according to the construction company’s website.
