3M to debut AI-powered assistant 'Ask 3M' and expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub at CES 2026

Rhea-AI Summary

3M (NYSE: MMM) announced two digital innovations launching at CES 2026: Ask 3M, an AI-powered assistant for engineers solving bonding challenges using 3M adhesives and tapes, and an expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub with a Workbench for direct collaboration with 3M scientists and virtual materials sampling.

Both tools use generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data to let users design and digitally validate materials before physical prototyping. Ask 3M will be piloted with engineers in 3M's Safety & Industrial Business Group and is powered by AWS technologies including Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore. The Hub adds Optical Models for simulation in automotive, consumer electronics, and advanced manufacturing workflows.

Key Figures

CES year 2026 Event timing for Ask 3M and Digital Materials Hub showcase

Booth number Booth #8505 3M exhibition location at CES 2026, North Hall

Launch timing Early 2025 Initial launch timing of the 3M Digital Materials Hub

Market Reality Check

$162.08 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,245,659 is at 0.51x the 20-day average of 2,452,149, indicating lighter trading ahead of this AI announcement. low

Technical Shares trade above the 200-day MA of 153.33 at a pre-news price of 162.08, reflecting an established upward bias into this AI launch.

Peers on Argus

Peers showed mixed, mostly modest moves, with HON up 0.33%, BBU up 2.12%, while OTTR and VMI were down -0.49% and -1.11%, suggesting this AI-focused news is more company-specific than sector-driven.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 22	AI CES preview	Positive	-1.2%	Preview of AI-powered innovation tool and CES 2026 materials showcase.
Dec 02	Brand partnership	Positive	+0.6%	Scotch Brand holiday campaign with celebrity partner to boost consumer engagement.
Nov 20	Investor conference	Neutral	-1.2%	Announcement of participation in Goldman Sachs Industrials and Materials Conference.
Nov 04	Dividend declaration	Positive	+2.3%	Quarterly dividend of $0.73 per share, extending 3M’s long dividend history.
Oct 24	Management change	Neutral	-1.8%	Lanvin Group CFO appointment referencing prior 3M experience, not core to MMM.

Pattern Detected

Recent MMM news shows mixed reactions: AI and conference updates previously saw negative moves, while dividend and brand campaigns coincided with gains, indicating no consistent pattern yet for innovation headlines.

Recent Company History

Over the past months, 3M (MMM) has reported diverse developments, including an AI-powered innovation tool for CES 2026 (Dec 22), a Scotch Brand holiday campaign partnership (Dec 2), an upcoming Goldman Sachs conference appearance (Nov 20), and a quarterly dividend declaration of $0.73 per share (Nov 4). Reactions ranged from a 2.32% gain after the dividend news to a -1.21% move after the earlier AI CES announcement. Today’s AI assistant and Digital Materials Hub expansion build directly on the prior CES AI tool theme.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights 3M’s effort to merge its materials science portfolio with AI through the Ask 3M assistant and an expanded Digital Materials Hub. The tools focus on faster design cycles, virtual materials, and simulation-ready models. Historically, CES-related AI news produced mixed short-term reactions, so investors may track adoption levels, customer feedback from CES 2026, and future updates on how these platforms are integrated across automotive, electronics, and manufacturing workflows.

Key Terms

generative ai technical

"these tools leverage generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data cards"

Generative AI is a type of computer technology that can create new content, like text, images, or music, on its own. It’s important because it can produce realistic and useful material quickly, which could change how we create art, write stories, or even develop new products. Think of it as a smart robot that can invent and produce things almost like a human.

simulation-ready data cards technical

"leverage generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data cards"

Simulation-ready data cards are compact, standardized packets of cleaned and structured information formatted so computer models can use them immediately for testing, forecasting, or stress scenarios. Think of them as pre-packed ingredient kits that let analysts and automated systems run realistic simulations without spending time tidying raw data. For investors, they speed up scenario analysis, improve model reliability, and help compare outcomes across companies or market conditions more consistently.

agentic ai technical

"demonstrate how agentic AI and advanced simulation can help 3M customers"

Agentic AI refers to computer systems that can make their own decisions and take actions without needing someone to tell them what to do each time. It's like giving a robot a degree of independence to solve problems or achieve goals on its own, which matters because it could change how we work and interact with technology in everyday life.

optical models technical

"will now include Optical Models, which represent 3M optical film performance"

Optical models are mathematical or computer simulations that predict how light will behave inside lenses, sensors, chips or other devices, effectively serving as virtual prototypes for cameras, fiber optics, medical scanners and similar products. For investors, they matter because accurate optical models reduce the need for costly physical prototypes, speed development, clarify performance limits and manufacturing risks, and help estimate how well a product will work in the real world—like testing a car in a simulator before building it.

virtual materials technical

"enables customers to request bespoke virtual materials—ones that solve their specific"

Virtual materials are computer-made models or digital versions of physical substances used to predict how a material will behave without making it in a lab. Like a flight simulator for a new metal or plastic, they let engineers and researchers test strength, durability and performance quickly and cheaply; for investors this can cut development time, lower costs and reduce technical risk, making companies’ product roadmaps and budgets more predictable.

substrates technical

"guides users through substrates, environmental conditions, assembly methods"

A substrate is the material or substance that a biological, chemical or manufacturing process acts on—like the food an enzyme breaks down, the surface cells grow on, or the base layer in a device. Investors care because how a company’s product interacts with its substrate affects efficacy, manufacturability and regulatory risk; think of it as the foundation or raw ingredient that determines whether a product will work reliably and can be made at scale.

simulation environments technical

"performance for use in common simulation environments. Engineers in automotive"

Simulation environments are controlled, virtual setups that mimic real-world systems—such as markets, manufacturing lines, or clinical settings—so people and algorithms can test actions and predict outcomes without real-world risk. For investors, they matter because they let companies validate products, model financial scenarios, estimate risks, and train staff safely; think of them like a flight simulator that helps pilots and engineers find problems before they happen, reducing costly surprises.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

New generative tool and capabilities can accelerate customer-centric innovation, enable creation of previously nonexistent materials

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M (NYSE: MMM) today announced two digital innovations that will accelerate customer design workflows:

• Ask 3M, a new AI-powered digital assistant that helps customers find solutions to design challenges using 3M's vast portfolio of adhesives and tapes
• An expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub, which enables direct collaboration with 3M scientists through the Workbench feature and powers virtual materials sampling for generative solutions that don't yet exist

To speed the introduction of solutions for 3M customers, these tools leverage generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data cards, empowering users to design and digitally validate materials before investing in physical prototypes. 

"At 3M, we're combining decades of material science with AI so engineers can make better decisions, faster," said Holly Semerad, chief marketing officer for 3M's Safety & Industrial Business Group. "Together, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub allow customers of varying scope and scale to move from design challenge to solution concept then digital selection and simulation in minutes. We can further accelerate the testing timeframe with small quantity purchase options for final and confident prototyping."

At launch, Ask 3M will be piloted to engineers solving bonding design challenges utilizing tapes and adhesives—largely within 3M's Safety & Industrial Business Group. Leveraging Amazon Web Services' (AWS) secure and scalable AI capabilities, including Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub demonstrate how agentic AI and advanced simulation can help 3M customers accelerate innovation cycles, reduce prototyping costs, and bring better products to market faster. Powered by AWS, the AI assistant guides users through substrates, environmental conditions, assembly methods, and performance targets to recommend suitable options, helping teams move from problem to product-fit more quickly.

The expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub, which launched in early 2025, will now include Optical Models, which represent 3M optical film performance for use in common simulation environments. Engineers in automotive, consumer electronics, and advanced manufacturing can quickly assess optical behaviors and material tradeoffs earlier in the process, reducing iterations and enabling faster decision-making. In a pilot with select customers, engineers reported that the tool enables seamless use of 3M materials into virtual simulations, accelerating prototyping and design.

In addition to these capabilities, the expanded platform also enables customers to request bespoke virtual materials—ones that solve their specific design challenges but don't yet exist. It does this by leveraging 3M's decades of material science and engineering expertise, which means the path to create these unique solutions is already in place and 3M can accelerate their development and delivery.

"With these platforms, 3M is redefining how engineers discover, evaluate, and simulate materials," said Jason Langfield, 3M Digital Materials Hub project lead. "By drawing on 3M's deep technological and application expertise, we can deliver secure, scalable access to mechanical models, optical models and virtual materials, while helping our customers reduce iterations, accelerate decisions, and bring better solutions to market faster."

3M will showcase these solutions as part of its exhibition at CES 2026, located at Booth #8505 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. To learn more, or to schedule a meeting at CES, please email CES-3M@mmm.com.

For more information on 3M's presence at CES, visit https://news.3m.com/CES.  

About 3M 
3M (NYSE: MMM) is focused on transforming industries around the world by applying science and creating innovative, customer-focused solutions. Our multi-disciplinary team is working to solve tough customer problems by leveraging diverse technology platforms, differentiated capabilities, global footprint, and operational excellence. Discover how 3M is shaping the future at 3M.com/news. 

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SOURCE 3M Company

FAQ

What is Ask 3M and how will it help engineers at 3M (MMM)?

Ask 3M is an AI-powered assistant that guides engineers through substrates, environmental conditions, assembly methods, and performance targets to recommend adhesives and tapes.

When and where will 3M (MMM) showcase Ask 3M and the Digital Materials Hub?

3M will showcase both solutions at CES 2026 at Booth #8505 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Which 3M business group will pilot Ask 3M and what problems will it address?

Ask 3M will be piloted largely within 3M's Safety & Industrial Business Group to help engineers solve bonding design challenges using tapes and adhesives.

What new capability was added to the 3M Digital Materials Hub for simulations?

The Hub now includes Optical Models representing 3M optical film performance for use in common simulation environments.

Which cloud technologies power Ask 3M and the Digital Materials Hub (MMM)?

Ask 3M and the Hub leverage AWS secure, scalable AI capabilities, including Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore.

Can customers request custom virtual materials through 3M's (MMM) platform?

Yes; the expanded Hub enables customers to request bespoke virtual materials that address specific design challenges and accelerate development.