Maintenance Tonight: The Big Year-End Breakdown (AI, Trends & Transformation)

Maintenance Tonight: The Big Year-End Breakdown (AI, Trends & Transformation)

As 2025 wraps up, maintenance teams are facing real change. Responsibilities have grown around safety, compliance, and reporting, but resources haven’t. Artificial intelligence has shifted from a buzzword to something people are actually testing in the field. Some results are promising, others show how much work is still ahead.

In this webinar, UpKeep CEO Ryan Chan shared highlights from the upcoming 2026 State of Maintenance Report, outlining three major trends that are reshaping the industry. He’s joined by Anthony Belmares, Navy veteran and recycling operations consultant, who talked about what AI looks like on the ground. Spencer Nelson, UpKeep Product Manager, also demoed UpKeep Intelligence (Nova) to show how AI is being built directly into technician workflows.

🎥 Watch the full webinar replay

The 2025 Maintenance Shift

For years, AI in maintenance was something talked about, not practiced. That changed this year. Teams began experimenting with predictive tools, automation, and data insights. At the same time, maintenance leaders are being asked to handle more compliance tasks, train new techs, and meet uptime goals with tight budgets. The conversation in this session focused on how to make all of that work together.

Webinar Highlights

0:00 — Welcome & 2025 Report Overview
Ryan opened with findings from the 2025 State of Maintenance Report and a look at what’s driving change across the industry.

4:30 — Trend #1: Maintenance Scope Expansion
Maintenance teams now own more than reliability. Safety, compliance, and documentation are part of the daily job, often without extra staffing or time.

7:22 — Trend #2: Where AI Actually Landed
AI finally made it to the shop floor. Ryan explained how teams are using it to predict failures, speed up reporting, and cut costs, plus where adoption is still slow.

13:36 — Trend #3: The Friction Points
AI adoption has real barriers: poor data quality, limited training, and unclear ROI. The group discussed how leaders can start closing those gaps.

16:00 — Guest Interview: Anthony Belmares
Anthony shared field stories about AI in action, leadership buy-in, and why human experience still drives the best decisions.

30:00 — Product Demo: UpKeep Intelligence (Nova)
Spencer Nelson showed how Nova brings AI into the daily workflow. From predicting equipment issues to summarizing data, it’s designed to make every technician’s job easier.

41:02 — Wrap-Up: Looking Ahead to 2026
Ryan closed with a simple message: the next phase of AI isn’t about trying tools, it’s about using them intentionally and tracking results.

45:27 — Q&A: Hiring, AI Costs & What’s Next
The audience discussion covered staffing challenges, AI investment, and the skills maintenance teams will need most in 2026.

Takeaways for Maintenance Teams

• AI is here to stay, but progress takes work. Start small, measure results, and build trust with your team.

• The maintenance role keeps expanding. Safety, sustainability, and compliance now sit beside uptime and cost control.

• 2026 is about focus. The teams that succeed will plan their tech adoption carefully and train their people to use it well.

Watch the Replay

Catch the full session, including the UpKeep Intelligence (Nova) demo and insights from the 2026 State of Maintenance Report.

👉 Watch Now