CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 4, 2026 — Manufacturers have no shortage of operational data, but turning that data into timely decisions remains a persistent challenge. Engineers often spend valuable time navigating dashboards, querying historians and piecing together information from disconnected systems before they can identify the root cause of a production issue.
Software Toolbox today announced the general availability of chatUNS.ai Version 3, the latest evolution of its industrial AI application that enables manufacturers to interact with plant data using natural language. The new release introduces autonomous AI agents, enterprise-wide "Autopilot" capabilities and day-one support for CESMII's newly released Industrial Information Interoperability eXchange (i3X) standard, helping manufacturers uncover operational issues faster and make more informed decisions. i3X is the open, vendor-agnostic API for contextualized manufacturing information, backed by more than 40 manufacturing technology providers, and chatUNS.ai supports it from day one.
Originally introduced in February, chatUNS.ai enables manufacturers to ask questions about their operations in plain language rather than relying on dashboards, SQL queries or manual reporting. Version 3 expands those capabilities by proactively monitoring operational data, recommending actions and enabling manufacturers to manage AI agents that continuously watch over production environments.
"Manufacturing is entering a new productivity frontier. Every manufacturer is generating enormous amounts of operational data, and with open standards like i3X and industrial AI applications like chatUNS.ai, there are fewer barriers than ever to turning that data into faster decisions, greater productivity and better business outcomes. We're excited to help manufacturers take that next step," said Andres Naranjo, CEO of Software Toolbox.
What's new in version 3
From copilot to autopilot Version 3 introduces Autopilot, allowing chatUNS.ai to continuously reason across connected manufacturing data and surface operational issues before users even begin an investigation. During a recent enterprise demonstration, a single click identified four production issues across multiple facilities, including:
- A developing pump bearing failure
- Elevated scrap rates on a production press
- A degraded electrical power factor
- An idle filler creating production bottlenecks
Rather than waiting for engineers to discover problems manually, Autopilot continuously scans available manufacturing data and highlights conditions that warrant attention.
Agents that never sleep, with humans in command
Version 3 introduces provisioned agents: digital workers that monitor, reason, and act around the clock, while keeping people firmly in control of every critical decision. chatUNS.ai suggests each agent's objective, key actions, and the data it should watch, turning operators and engineers into managers of agents. Agents deliver summaries, write-ups, or charts automatically, routing critical information to the right people through the right channel: a text alert for maintenance, an email summary for supervisors.
Expert questions, grounded answers, deep visuals
When investigating an issue, users can select a topic within their Unified Namespace and instantly receive the same investigative questions an experienced operator might ask without having to know what questions to start with. chatUNS.ai then delivers AI-generated root cause analysis supported by manufacturing context, along with technical visualizations including:
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) breakdowns
- Cycle time analysis
- Downtime Pareto charts
- Fishbone diagrams
- Weibull maintenance analyses
Data does not need to be perfect to begin. chatUNS.ai reasons across silos via i3X and, wherever it finds gaps, recommends amendments to the customer's data plan, creating a continuous feedback loop with the teams who can capture and add data over time.
Enterprise data and security from day one
Recognizing that enterprise AI requires more than large language models alone, Software Toolbox designed chatUNS.ai Version 3 with governance and security as foundational capabilities. The application includes:
- Role-based access controls
- Comprehensive audit trails
- Configurable AI model endpoints
- Connector management
- Data retention controls
- Protection of operational technology (OT) control systems
- Assurance that customer data is never used to train AI models
Availability
chatUNS.ai Version 3 is available today. Manufacturers with a data source already in place can sign up directly at chatUNS.ai, or contact the Software Toolbox team. Product demo video is available upon request.
About Software Toolbox
Software Toolbox is a full-stack industrial AI provider spanning industrial connectivity (TOP Server, OmniServer), data platforms (N3uron, Cogent DataHub, OPC Router), and AI applications (jonjon.ai and chatUNS.ai). For three decades, Software Toolbox has helped manufacturers worldwide connect, contextualize, and act on their operational data.