Richard Socher: Artificial intelligence is an unbelievably flexible technology we can use in many fields. I believe AI to be one of the most powerful tools available to humanity.
As a Ph.D. student, I wanted to work with the world’s best scientists and they just so happen to be in the US. Don’t get me wrong. There is fantastic research happening at the Technical University in Munich, the Max-Planck-Institute in Saarbrücken and in Tübingen, but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to what’s happening at Stanford. And then there are cultural differences that make developing a new technology much easier. In the US, people often tackle innovation head-on and then start thinking about where it may lead. In Europe, there is much more regulation, often right at the beginning of a process when many of the facts and how things will develop are still hazy. It makes life much more difficult and stymies progress.
Artificial intelligence needs to be regulated, when it comes to surgical practices in medicine and autonomous driving for a couple of examples.
No, definitely not. Artificial intelligence needs to be regulated, when it comes to surgical practices in medicine and autonomous driving for a couple of examples, because this is a matter of life and death.
My focus is finding and promoting positive uses. Let me give you two examples. Artificial intelligence can be leveraged to continually adjust cows’ diets so they produce less methane, which goes a long way to protect our climate. And while we’re on the topic, we can also use AI to help better predict the weather. That might not so interesting for developed countries, which already have extensive systems in place, but for Uganda, for example, it’s a huge step towards protecting themselves against extreme weather events.
Bechtle has acquired a 51 per cent stake in Rostock-based AI company Planet AI GmbH. The company is active in the field of deep learning and creating solutions for intelligent document analysis and process automation.
Bechtle has acquired a 51 per cent stake in Rostock-based AI company Planet AI GmbH. The company is active in the field of deep learning and creating solutions for intelligent document analysis and process automation.
As with all revolutionary developments, like the printing press, the steam engine and the internet, artificial intelligence will change the way we think and work. Every industry that is or could be digitalised will change.
It’s highly likely that we won’t work less, just more productively. Some jobs will disappear, others will replace them. This will put a lot of pressure on social systems to begin with and governments will have to step in. I think Germany is in a good position, but only if the country is prepared to leverage AI for positive developments.
Any industry that is or can be digitized will change.
Step one is to take a serious look at artificial intelligence and gauge the potential consequences. The crucial question to ask is whether AI is going to be a real disruptor or simply take productivity up a notch. If we’re talking about disruptive change such as in healthcare, agriculture and journalism, companies will have to reassess their entire business models and find new solutions. If not, leaders will still need to face up to the change. If employees such as those in the service sector become five to ten-times more efficient, I can reassign many of them to perform other roles in the company.
I think right now it’s all about identifying anomalies in networks and on endpoints. AI is already pretty good at that and will become even better. There is plenty more potential as well. Artificial intelligence can write perfect code and that will pay off because it means fewer vulnerabilities. And I also expect that any remaining vulnerabilities will be detected much earlier, ideally before they can be exploited by attackers.
It’s a real game changer. I can already prompt AI to code an app or a website with particular specifications and features. With this we can unleash immense creativity, create art, generate new business models and share our ideas with the whole world much faster than ever before.
