Democratizing robotics: How KUKA is making automation accessible with Azure and AI

A new kind of programmer

At KUKA, a global automation leader and robotics manufacturer, the traditional approach to robot programming—requiring advanced technical training and fluency in proprietary code—no longer felt sustainable. The company had a bold new vision: what if automation didn’t require advanced training in proprietary robot programming languages? What if more people, from operators to planners, could contribute, adapt, and innovate without needing to start from scratch? This vision aligns with KUKA’s mission: to build intuitive automation solutions that simplify work across more applications. Whether through the company’s iiQWorks platform or an AI agent, the goal is the same: making automation easier and more accessible.

Building a solution for speed, safety, and access

KUKA worked with the Microsoft Industry Solution Engineering team to jointly develop the iiQWorks.Copilot, an AI-powered assistant that helps users generate code that programs robot movements with natural language prompts. Integrated into KUKA’s iiQWorks simulation platform, the agent allows users to design, test, and deploy programs in a digital environment, reducing setup time and improving safety before any hardware is installed. 

The solution is built using Microsoft Azure. With Azure OpenAI in Foundry Models, the company accesses GPT-4o to power the natural language interface. The assistant uses retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to fetch relevant KUKA data to generate accurate answers. Azure AI Search indexes internal content to support accurate responses. Azure SQL Database and FastAPI handles secure storage and data exchange between the front end and back end. 

To meet internal compliance needs and protect intellectual property, KUKA runs the model in its own environment. “We host the model to help protect our data and IP,” says Christian Schwaiger, Technology Strategy Lead in the Corporate CTO Office at KUKA. “The Microsoft platform gave us the flexibility and enterprise-grade security we needed.”

A new tool for every user

With iiQWorks.Copilot, internal users at KUKA have seen programming time for simple tasks reduced by up to 80%, accelerating deployment and reducing reliance on specialized skills. By simplifying the programming process, the agent will significantly broaden who can contribute to automation.

For a technician, iiQWorks.Copilot will reduce the friction of trial and error. Instead of flipping through hundreds of pages of documentation or waiting on support from a programming team, they can adjust on the fly—like changing a robot’s grip pattern or timing—then simulate those changes safely before deployment. That keeps production moving and reduces downtime.

For planners and maintenance teams, the ability to experiment and adapt code will unlock faster collaboration and quicker troubleshooting.

Scaling impact with AI

iiQWorks.Copilot will support a wide range of users throughout the robotics life cycle. Factory planners can build and simulate robot workflows in the office, while technicians can adjust robot behavior during commissioning. Maintenance teams can update programs in response to new production demands. All changes are tested in simulation to safeguard performance and reliability. 

By expanding access to programming, the agent helps address a workforce challenge: the shortage of skilled labor. “This doesn’t replace programmers—it supports them and brings others into the fold,” says Schwaiger.

Just as important, the collaboration with Microsoft builds trust with customers. “Having Microsoft and KUKA collaborate is a sign of reliability. Customers want to know what’s behind the AI solution and that it’s safe,” says Emilio Galopin, Software Product Manager at KUKA.

Meeting the future of automation

As manufacturers push toward greater agility, flexible production lines, and smaller batch sizes, demand is growing for tools that make automation easier to adopt and adapt. KUKA’s agent is not just a time-saver but a step toward a more inclusive, responsive industrial future in which more people across roles can program robots.

“In the future, AI will play a major role in making access to, and use of, automation and robotics as easy as possible for more and more people in a wide variety of working environments,” says Reinhold Gross, CEO of KUKA Robotics. Looking ahead, KUKA sees iiQWorks.Copilot as a foundation for broader AI integration—one that helps bring automation to its customers more efficiently and more safely.

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