AI opportunities for companies still limited
Published: Friday, Jun 7th 2024, 14:50
Back to Live Feed
Artificial intelligence can help companies to simplify their processes. However, the current version of the technology can often only perform trivial tasks, as practical experience shows.
"Companies can use AI to analyze figures, write texts or generate images," said Rainer Baumann, Head of Operations at Migros, at a panel discussion at the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF) in Interlaken. Such tools are easy to obtain and only cost a few hundred francs.
Migros has already been using artificial intelligence for around six years, for example to put together special offers or to advise customers online. "If someone asks how to bake a frozen bread, AI can help," says Baumann. However, if a company wants to "revolutionize the world" with AI, it has to invest a lot of money - and success is still not guaranteed.
This was also confirmed by the representative of the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), Thomas Schneider: "AI is useful for trivial things like writing an email." However, the technology is still too unreliable to completely turn processes upside down.
Christian Keller, Managing Director of IBM Switzerland, also said: "The technology is only just beginning." AI models for companies need to be trained with specific data. This is the only way to guarantee that they work without biases and can provide customers with sound advice.
Great help in research
Research has already made progress in this area: ETH President and physics professor Joël Mesot, for example, used AI in research projects to develop complex solutions for the pharmaceutical industry.
"AI can solve problems that go beyond human imagination," said Mesot. An AI-generated solution was around three times as efficient as the ETH researchers' solution.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic