Talking AI — The digital twin: a living model, not a mock-up

A digital twin is not a 3D mock-up: it is a virtual replica of a piece of equipment, a line or a site, fed continuously by real operating data, that updates itself and lets you simulate a decision before making it for real. Its value comes not from the software but from the quality and freshness of the data feeding it. Capgemini measured it: 60% of organizations are betting on twins, yet only 13% truly benefit, and the gap is data discipline, not the tool. Before buying, one question separates a real twin from a pretty visualization: which real data updates it, how often, and what happens when a sensor fails? The takeaway: before any investment, map on a single page the data actually available across a pilot scope and how often it refreshes; if it is more than a week old, fix the flow before committing the budget.

Source: Capgemini Research Institute, "Digital Twins: Adding Intelligence to the Real World," 2022 (survey of more than 1,000 organizations).