CEOs Deploy AI Across Hospitals, Factories, and Chipmakers
Three executives told CNBC on May 16 that artificial intelligence is now embedded in daily operations across healthcare, apparel, and semiconductor manufacturing. IHH Group CEO Dr. Prem Kumar Nair, TAL Apparel CEO Roger Lee, and AT&S CEO Michael Mertin each described specific operational changes driven by AI adoption.
The interviews mark one of the clearest multi-sector snapshots of industrial AI deployment in 2026.
What the CEOs Said
Dr. Prem Kumar Nair said IHH Group is using AI to support clinical diagnosis and to manage patient flow across its hospital network.
IHH Group is one of Asia’s largest private healthcare operators, with hospitals in Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Turkey. Nair said AI tools are reducing diagnostic delays and helping staff triage cases faster.
He did not give a specific figure for cost savings but said the impact on throughput has been material.
Roger Lee said TAL Apparel has integrated AI into pattern cutting and supply chain forecasting. TAL Apparel is a Hong Kong-based contract garment manufacturer that produces clothing for major Western brands.
Lee said predictive AI has cut fabric waste and reduced lead times on seasonal orders.
Michael Mertin said AT&S, an Austrian printed circuit board and semiconductor substrate maker, is using AI for defect detection on production lines. Mertin said automated visual inspection systems powered by machine learning have reduced the rate of faulty boards reaching assembly.
He tied the adoption directly to margin pressure in the chip substrate market.
Background
The three interviews sit inside a broader wave of executive AI commitments that accelerated through late 2025 and into 2026. Spending on enterprise AI infrastructure reached a pace last seen during the cloud build-out of the early 2010s, with hyperscalers and industrial firms both raising capital expenditure targets.
The World Economic Forum said in May 2026 that AI startups are reshaping venture capital economics, with traditional funding models struggling to absorb the pace of deployment.
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What Comes Next
All three executives described AI integration as ongoing rather than complete. Nair said IHH plans to extend AI tools to its newer hospital acquisitions in emerging markets.
Lee said TAL is evaluating AI-driven robotics for sewing operations, which currently rely heavily on human labor. Mertin said AT&S intends to expand defect-detection AI from one plant to its full European and Asian manufacturing footprint by the end of 2026.
The CNBC segment is available in full on the network’s website.
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