AS MANUFACTURING MOVES FROM MASS PRODUCTION TO FLEXIBLE MARKET RESPONSE, WORKFORCE EMPOWERMENT IS NECESSARY AT EVERY LEVEL TO RE-INTEGRATE KNOWLEDGE EXPERIENCE INTO OPERATIONS IS CRITICAL FOR ORGANIZATIONS FACED WITH GLOBAL COMPETITIVE PRESSURES. HOWEVER, CERTAIN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES CAN HURT MORE THAN THEY HELP IN THIS RESPECT. BY ATTEMPTING TO AUTOMATE COMPREHENSIVE SKILLS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONTINUES A TREND THAT BEGAN WITH SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT, A SET OF MASS-PRODUCTION-ORIENTED PRACTICES WHICH TEND TO DEGRADE SKILL. THE PITFALLS OF THIS APPROACH ARE OUTLINED, AND EXPERIENCE INTEGRATION IS PROPOSED AS AN ALTERNATIVE.