At its 3DExperience 2026 event, Dassault Systèmes showcased a new wave of artificial intelligence capabilities aimed at transforming how engineers and designers work within its flagship platforms. The company introduced three AI-driven companions—Aura, Leo, and Marie—slated for release in summer 2026. These assistants are designed to help users navigate the design process, interpret user intent, and automate repetitive tasks. During demonstrations, the AI tools converted simple 2D sketches into detailed 3D models in seconds, highlighting the potential for faster concept development and iteration, tells this Machine Design article.
A centerpiece of the event was a strategic deepening of Dassault Systèmes’ partnership with Nvidia. The two companies outlined plans to combine Dassault’s expertise in virtual twins and digital physics models with Nvidia’s AI infrastructure, enabling real-time simulation and prediction directly inside design environments. This collaboration aims to ground AI in a physics-validated engineering context, bridging the gap between generative models and practical, simulation-ready solutions.
Dassault’s approach reflects a broader vision of AI not merely as a productivity enhancer but as a collaborator that understands industrial constraints. Company leaders framed this shift as part of an evolution from traditional CAD tools toward intelligent workflows where AI accelerates analysis, suggests design alternatives, and predicts performance outcomes. This aligns with industry trends toward integrating modeling, simulation, and generative algorithms to reduce development cycles and catch issues earlier.
Underpinning these advances is Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which already supports interconnected design, simulation, and lifecycle tools. AI enhancements are intended to expand this platform into what the company calls “3D universes,” in which virtual twins powered by real-world data and secure AI models help predict behavior and optimize designs across engineering domains.
The shift toward AI-enhanced design could change everyday practices for mechanical engineers, industrial designers, and systems architects, emphasizing guided automation, real-time feedback, and physics-aware insights within collaborative digital threads.