Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses operate, from customer service and cybersecurity to supply chain management. It’s also making its mark on printing, where it’s transforming the way organizations manage documents and protect their information.
Kyocera’s Taskalfa devices demonstrate this shift. Beginning with models introduced in late 2021, select Taskalfa MFPs began incorporating AI-driven capabilities such as super resolution and handwriting enhancement. These innovations transformed the Taskalfa from a traditional printer into a smarter platform that supports predictive maintenance, document automation, and enhanced security. By blending reliability with AI-enabled features, Kyocera gives businesses the ability to future-proof their print environments.
Why Printing Needs AI
The modern workplace has made printing more complex than ever. Businesses are handling hybrid work environments, digital transformation projects, and growing regulatory demands around data protection. At the same time, rising costs and sustainability goals put pressure on organizations to reduce waste and make smarter use of resources.
Printing technology has long been about speed and volume, but meeting today’s challenges requires devices that can also learn, adapt, and respond proactively. That’s where AI changes the game. With built-in intelligence, printers and MFPs can:
- Automate repetitive document tasks
- Learn from usage patterns and optimize performance
- Predict issues before they disrupt business
- Protect sensitive data with adaptive security features
These features first appeared in the 2021 Taskalfa lineup and have since expanded across newer models.
Smarter Document Workflows with AI
One of the most powerful applications of AI in printing is document workflow automation. In many industries, managing documents still involves a lot of manual sorting, routing, and filing. Over time, those repetitive tasks can consume valuable resources, especially in environments that rely heavily on paperwork.
AI-driven print solutions can recognize document types, classify them, and send them to the right digital destination without manual input. For example:
- Healthcare providers can scan patient forms and have them automatically routed to the correct digital folder or electronic health record.
- Educational institutions can digitize admissions documents, grade reports, or student records with AI-powered sorting that reduces errors.
- Law firms can scan case files and contracts into secure archives, cutting down on time-consuming manual filing.
Kyocera Taskalfa devices can serve as central hubs in these workflows. Instead of simply acting as printers, they become gateways between physical and digital information, making it easier for employees to access, manage, and share data accurately.
Predictive Maintenance and Cost Savings
Downtime is one of the biggest hidden costs in office printing. When a printer goes down unexpectedly, teams lose valuable time, IT teams scramble, and productivity grinds to a halt. Even small disruptions like a jammed tray, low toner, or worn-out part can add up to significant losses.
AI addresses this problem with predictive maintenance. Instead of waiting for something to break, intelligent devices can detect early warning signs, analyze performance trends, and alert users before downtime occurs. For example:
- Toner levels can be tracked and replenished automatically.
- Internal components can be monitored for wear, triggering service alerts before failure.
- Usage patterns can be studied to optimize maintenance schedules.
Kyocera Taskalfa devices are already known for their long-life components and reliability. With AI-driven predictive maintenance, businesses not only minimize disruptions but also extend the life of their investment. The result is fewer service calls, lower repair costs, and more predictable budgeting.
Sustainability with AI-Driven Printing
Businesses are under pressure to reduce waste, cut energy use, and demonstrate environmentally responsible practices. Printing, traditionally seen as resource-heavy, is an area where AI can make a meaningful impact.
AI helps reduce waste and energy consumption in several ways:
- Toner optimization ensures that every cartridge is used efficiently, extending life cycles and reducing waste.
- Print job analysis identifies unnecessary or duplicate printing, prompting users to reconsider before hitting “Print.”
- Energy management allows devices to learn usage patterns and enter low-power modes when not in demand.
These changes add up. By combining AI with Kyocera’s established eco-friendly design philosophy, Taskalfa devices help organizations shrink their carbon footprint while also lowering costs.
Security in the AI Printing Era
In today’s workplace, many printers are connected endpoints on the company network. That makes them potential targets for cybercriminals. Left unsecured, a printer can provide hackers with a back door into sensitive company data.
AI strengthens print security by enabling more intelligent monitoring and protection with:
- Adaptive authentication: AI can enhance user verification, ensuring that only authorized employees can release print jobs.
- Threat detection: Intelligent systems can recognize unusual activity and stop attacks before they spread.
- Data protection: Scanned and printed documents can be monitored for compliance, protecting sensitive information from leaving the organization unchecked.
For industries like healthcare, finance, and law — where data security is non-negotiable — AI-enabled Taskalfa devices add a valuable layer of protection. Security becomes proactive, not reactive.
Supporting the Hybrid Workforce
The shift to hybrid work has transformed how businesses handle documents. Employees need the flexibility to work seamlessly whether they’re in the office, at home, or on the go. That includes printing and scanning — tasks that have traditionally been tied to physical office spaces.
AI-enabled printing makes hybrid work more secure and efficient:
- Cloud printing allows employees to send documents from anywhere and release them securely at the office.
- Mobile integrations support printing from phones, tablets, and laptops without complex setup.
- Intelligent workflows bridge physical and digital collaboration, ensuring files are accessible wherever employees need them.
Kyocera Taskalfa devices are designed to integrate with these hybrid workflows. By combining AI with cloud and mobile functionality, they help businesses keep pace with the evolving workplace.
The Business Value of AI-Enhanced Print
Organizations that adopt AI-enabled devices see tangible benefits that go beyond paper and toner:
- Reduced costs from optimized resource usage and fewer disruptions.
- Stronger security against threats targeting connected devices.
- Improved sustainability through smarter energy and supply management.
- Increased productivity as employees spend less time managing documents and more time focused on meaningful work.
For small and mid-sized businesses, AI in printing levels the playing field, allowing them to operate with the same efficiency and security as larger enterprises. For larger organizations, it provides the scale and intelligence needed to manage complex workflows across multiple locations.
In both cases, the value lies in making printing and document management part of a broader strategy for smarter, more future-ready operations.
Looking Ahead
Artificial intelligence is a tool that businesses are using right now to make their print environments more efficient, secure, and sustainable. From smarter document workflows to predictive maintenance and advanced security, AI is transforming what printers can do and how they fit into the modern workplace.
By combining long-lasting hardware with AI-driven intelligence, Kyocera’s Taskalfa devices give businesses a way to future-proof their printing strategy while meeting today’s challenges head-on.
About ISI
Impression Solutions Inc. is a value-add, full-service distributor of printing and imaging solutions. ISI offers their dealers, resellers and their end users unparalleled service and support as an OEM full line authorized distributor of Kyocera monochrome and color printers, MFPs, Wide Format Printers, printer accessories, printer supplies and customized printing solutions.
Recent launches include Virtual Inventory Services and IS Docs, a turnkey Document Management program for Imaging Dealers to grow their monthly recurring revenues (MRR).
ISI maintains a full inventory of over 2,200 SKUs of printer products ready for same-day shipment from their 35,000 square feet of warehousing space in 5 distribution centers from coast to coast.
