Emerson’s latest NI Nigel AI enhancements aim to bring domain-specific intelligence into engineering workflows, helping engineering teams accelerate test development while maintaining confidence in validation.
As engineering systems become increasingly software-defined and connected, development teams are facing mounting pressure to deliver products faster without compromising quality. At NI Days India 2026, Emerson showcased how it is embedding artificial intelligence into engineering software, unveiling new NI Nigel AI capabilities designed to streamline test development and address growing system complexity.
The latest release introduces AI-powered code generation in NI LabVIEW+ and automated test sequence creation in NI TestStand. According to Emerson, the new capabilities can reduce development time and effort by up to 50 per cent across representative engineering workflows, enabling engineers to move more quickly from design to validation.
“In one year, Nigel has evolved from an AI advisor to an AI author, showing the strength of the NI platform and its ability to integrate the most in-demand technologies quickly for our customers,” said Ritu Favre, President of Emerson’s Test and Measurement business. “By enabling purpose-built AI to generate code and test sequences within workflows, we’re accelerating productivity while ensuring engineers remain in control of validation and decision-making.”
Unlike general-purpose AI assistants, Nigel AI has been developed specifically for engineering environments. It operates within structured test workflows, leveraging engineering code, measurement data, and system constraints to generate reliable outputs while maintaining governance and regulatory compliance.
Alongside the product announcement, NI Days India brought together industry leaders to discuss how AI can support engineering teams dealing with increasingly complex products. Sessions explored connected workflows, data-driven decision-making and the importance of integrating AI across the engineering lifecycle.
“Engineering teams today are managing unprecedented levels of complexity as products become more connected, data-intensive, and software-driven,” said Priyachandar Paramasivam, Country Head and Director for Emerson’s Test & Measurement business in India. “NI Days India provided an opportunity for industry leaders to exchange ideas, share practical experiences, and explore how AI can help engineers work more efficiently while maintaining confidence in their test and validation processes.”
The event also featured discussions led by L&T Technology Services (LTTS) on scaling AI adoption across engineering organisations. Ashish Khushu, Chief Technology Officer at LTTS, highlighted the industry’s next challenge: “The next phase of AI adoption is about transforming engineering data into engineering intelligence. The real value lies in combining AI with deep engineering expertise to connect design, development, validation, and operations, enabling organisations to innovate faster and make better engineering decisions at scale.”
With Nigel AI now expanding across the broader NI LabVIEW+ Suite, including InstrumentStudio, FlexLogger, and VeriStand, Emerson is positioning AI as an integral part of engineering workflows rather than a standalone productivity tool. As product complexity continues to rise across industries such as semiconductors, automotive, aerospace, and industrial automation, the company believes domain-specific AI will play a crucial role in helping engineers innovate faster while maintaining the rigour required for mission-critical applications.
