Steel Production Goes AI
ArcelorMittal Leverages AWS AI and Cloud to Automate Global Steel Operations, Boosting Efficiency
Key Points
ArcelorMittal’s Nik Puri (Group CIO & CISO) said the effort will “converge our operational and information technology on a single secure platform,” adding that it would move the company to “digitally enabled operations - safer for our people, more reliable in output, and more sustainable by design,” and enable “industrialise AI at scale across the steelmaking value chain.”
AWS executive Tanuja Randery (Managing Director and Vice President, EMEA) highlighted the goal of running AI “to the point of production” and doing so “across steelmaking sites in 14 countries.”
The related Amazon supply framework is described as covering “structural steel deliveries across Europe and the United Kingdom,” with ArcelorMittal supplying “lower-carbon XCarb® steel” for Amazon operations and AWS data centers tied to Amazon’s “net-zero construction goals.”
ArcelorMittal noted its global footprint—“presence in 60 countries” and “primary steelmaking operations in 14 countries”—in the context of the planned automation roll-out.
ArcelorMittal has announced a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services to automate its steelmaking plants across 14 countries using cloud technology and artificial intelligence. Amazon confirmed the deal will converge the company's operational and information technology on a single AWS platform, pushing AI tools directly to the factory floor.
The deal has two parts. First, AWS will deploy AI across ArcelorMittal's production sites worldwide. Second, Amazon signed a separate multi-year agreement to buy lower-carbon steel from ArcelorMittal for use in its own operations and AWS data centers across Europe and the United Kingdom.
AI Tools to Reach the Factory Floor in 14 Countries
ArcelorMittal will deploy several AI-powered tools across its steelmaking sites. These include predictive maintenance, which spots equipment problems before they cause breakdowns. The company will also use computer vision to check product quality and digital twins — virtual copies of furnaces and production lines — to simulate changes without risking real equipment. Amazon said the rollout will cover steelmaking sites in 14 countries.
Group CIO Nik Puri said the plan will "converge our operational and information technology on a single secure platform." He added it would move ArcelorMittal to "digitally enabled operations — safer for our people, more reliable in output, and more sustainable by design." AWS Managing Director Tanuja Randery said the goal is to run AI "to the point of production" at every site.
OT and IT Merger Marks a Big Bet on Cloud Security
Most heavy industrial firms keep two separate data systems. Operational technology, or OT, runs the physical machines. Information technology, or IT, handles business data. Combining them on a single cloud platform is rare in industries like steelmaking, where extreme heat, dust, and vibration make electronic systems fragile. ArcelorMittal operates in 60 countries, giving the AWS integration an unusually large scope.
The partnership will use industrial sensors and real-time data to feed AI models at the edge of the production environment — meaning the AI runs close to the machines, not just in a distant data center. AWS will also run an education program to train ArcelorMittal's workforce on digital and AI tools as part of the rollout.
Amazon Buys Lower-Carbon Steel to Green Its Data Centers
Alongside the tech deal, Amazon signed a multi-year supply framework with ArcelorMittal to purchase XCarb® steel. XCarb® is ArcelorMittal's brand for lower-carbon steel, produced using electric arc furnaces and recycled scrap rather than traditional blast furnaces. Amazon said the steel will go toward structural deliveries across Europe and the United Kingdom for Amazon operations and AWS data centers.
Amazon has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Buying lower-carbon steel directly from a supplier helps reduce its Scope 3 emissions — the pollution that comes from its supply chain rather than its own buildings or vehicles. Traditional blast furnace steel produces roughly 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of steel. XCarb® steel can cut that figure by up to 70%.
A Circular Deal: Tech for Steel, Steel for Tech
The structure of the agreement is notable. AWS provides ArcelorMittal with the technology to make steel more efficiently and cleanly. In return, Amazon buys that cleaner steel to build the physical data centers that power AWS. MarketScreener reported the collaboration is designed to accelerate industrial automation globally while supporting lower-carbon construction.
The deal creates what analysts call a "circular commercial loop." ArcelorMittal gets a major guaranteed customer and a technology upgrade it could not easily build alone. Amazon locks in a green steel supply and reduces its exposure to future carbon taxes in Europe, where the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is already pushing industrial suppliers to cut emissions.
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