It’s no secret that artificial intelligence and machine learning are going to have a lasting impact on the world of work. What’s changed, however, is that new technology and the availability of more and more usable data have added a whole new urgency to this trend. In the coming “Science Year 2019”, which is dedicated to the topic of AI, Fraunhofer IAO will therefore take a look at how companies can exploit the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence and what kind of changes it will bring to the workplace. An online calendar already offers a sneak preview of the program, which will feature events, typical applications, prototypes, and publications.
AI map: an overview of projects and innovations in Germany
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has launched an initiative by the name of Plattform Lernende Systeme – a platform for AI and machine learning. Its members include Fraunhofer IAO. In cooperation with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), this platform has now published an AI map designed to illustrate the nature of artificial intelligence and how it will impact industry, business, and everyday life. This map shows model applications and projects based on AI, both now and in the near future, from across all sectors of business, fields of application, and sizes of company. It will be continually updated with new examples from research and practice throughout the course of the “Science Year 2019” and can be called up online at any time.
People and data: the key factors for beneficial AI applications
Whatever the sector of business or field of application – AI is only ever as good as the data on which it is based. The other key factor in the development of AI applications is the human one. SmartAIwork is a collaborative project involving Fraunhofer IAO, together with the Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management IAT at the University of Stuttgart, and various partners. Its object is to show how AI can help make clerical work more productive and create more scope for people to develop their talents. Fraunhofer IAO is also a member of the innovation network “Digitalization in the insurance industry”, which helps identify and exploit opportunities for AI. “Our aim is to reduce the workload so that people can devote themselves to more creative tasks. This will increase not only their motivation but also their identification with a task,” explains Thomas Renner, who heads research into digital business at Fraunhofer IAO, and is a member of the international Partnership on AI. “AI can also help in areas where know-how, or tact and sensitivity are required, by enabling us to rapidly identify solutions that have been used in similar cases.”
Learning how to analyze data with AI methods
The “Science Year 2019” will see Fraunhofer IAO organize a range of events designed to help companies get started in the world of AI. The program already got under way with the Future Forum 2019 on January 31 and February 1, which focused on the subject of “How digitalization and cognitive systems are changing the world of work.” The seminar program “Data science and artificial intelligence” will focus on practical examples and tool demonstrations specially selected to make the showcased concepts clear and comprehensible. The events are directed at executives, specialists, and IT experts who would like to gain an understanding of AI, machine learning and data science, but are also open to novices and other interested parties.
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO