In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from a theoretical concept to a groundbreaking reality that permeates almost all areas of our everyday lives.

We encounter it in the entertainment industry, in assistance systems, in financial products and search engines, and even on websites. But AI is no longer the sole preserve of large corporations.

The democratization of AI now also enables individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to use this technology independently.

 

What is machine learning?

One particular type of AI that has been particularly prominent in recent years is machine learning. Machine learning extracts rules from extensive data sets. These rules can have a wide range of applications: They can differentiate between images, categorize machine data, classify texts, localize objects, as is the case with autonomous driving, or perform tasks that we are familiar with from control engineering.

 

Advantages

But what exactly are the advantages of this AI? Admittedly, many applications of AI can be found in areas that were previously also automated. So what’s the difference?

If we consider AI as a form of automation, then the difference to conventional automation is that AI does not require clear rules.

For example, a robot can follow predefined paths or recognize certain features on images that have been precisely defined beforehand. However, these rules are often not precisely known. How can handwritten digits be distinguished when a 0 can look like a 6 and a 7 like a 1?

This is where the advantage of AI becomes apparent. If you provide the AI with a data set consisting of examples and apply proven algorithms, the AI recognizes hidden patterns on its own and can later apply them independently.

For production, this means that qualitative features that were previously assessed on the basis of “gut feeling” can now also be assessed automatically. Or various (sensor) data can be evaluated in such a way that impending faults or machine failures can be predicted.

 

Appointment

How can a small business use AI and what skills should a company have?

The good news is that enough programs now exist to facilitate the use of AI. No AI researchers are required.

Commercial programs with pre-trained AI are available on the market, which only need to be adapted slightly and can be learned with a short training course.

In addition, companies should develop a basic understanding of AI in order to identify potential in their operations and understand how they can implement AI.

Artificial intelligence holds enormous potential for every company, and the question is not whether companies will use AI, but when.

AI not only increases efficiency by reducing the use of resources while maintaining the same production volume, it also increases productivity by increasing the production volume with the same use of resources.

This enables companies to increase their competitiveness.

 

Let us inform and accompany you

EDIH Saarland offers a comprehensive range of services to make it easier to get started with AI in your own company and to successfully put ideas into practice. Further information on the individual services can be found here.