eco AI Future Tech Summit: What Artificial Intelligence Can Already Do Today

Perspectives and best practices from companies and politics

What significance does artificial intelligence have for the competitiveness of Germany as a digital centre? How must the regulatory framework be designed so as not to slow down innovation, but to focus on opportunities? Which lighthouse projects and AI pioneers in the German corporate landscape can act as a blueprint to enable more companies to utilise artificial intelligence?

These questions were discussed by eco – Association of the Internet Industry at the AI Future Tech Summit on 11 June 2024 in the Microsoft Atrium in Berlin. The summit also marked the conclusion of the AI Future Tech project initiated jointly by eco and Microsoft Germany. This project aims to demonstrate how AI is already being used in business and industry in Germany, showcasing concrete best cases from renowned companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim, Bosch, Otto Group, and Siemens, thus making AI solutions and opportunities tangible.

The event focussed on the opportunities and potential of artificial intelligence for Germany as a digital location as well as current political and regulatory issues.

The potential of artificial intelligence and the effects on efficiency, productivity and innovative strength are enormous,” said Wolfgang Dierker, General Manager Corporate, External & Legal Affairs at Microsoft Germany, in his welcome keynote. “Our successful customer projects in artificial intelligence show how quickly industrial companies, for example, can use generative AI to make human-machine collaboration more productive.”

The first panel consisted of Ana Dujic, BMAS Denkfabrik, Nico Hartmann, Manufacturing Industry Lead, Microsoft Deutschland GmbH, Dr Michael Müller-Wünsch, Head of Technology (CIO Otto Group), Johanna Michelfelder, Head Product Area Video Perception (Computer Vision), Bosch, Andreas Henrich, Head IT Infrastructure, Boehringer. Michael Müller-Wünsch, Head of Technology (CIO) Otto Group, Johanna Michelfelder, Head of Product Area Video Perception (Computer Vision), Bosch, Andreas Henrich, Head of IT Infrastructure, Boehringer Ingelheim and Thomas Rettenmaier, Siemens, moderated by digital expert Sven Oswald, discussed the challenges and lessons learnt when introducing AI solutions in companies, as well as future prospects and how AI could change the working world of tomorrow.

In the political speed talk that followed, Corinna Visser (Table.Briefings) spoke with MPs Maximilian Funke-Kaiser, MP FDP, Tabea Rößner, MP Bündnis90/ Die Grünen, Parsa Marvi, MP SPD, Thomas Heilmann, MP CDU/CSU and eco Board Member for IT Security, Norbert Pohlmann about the prospects for AI regulation at federal and EU level. In particular, the focus was on the upcoming national implementation of the European AI Act.

“In order to leverage the potential and innovative power of AI for the entire national economy, we need legal certainty and a standardised regulatory framework across Europe, as well as an efficient ecosystem of digital infrastructures. We need to spread the knowledge, possibilities and potential of AI across the country. Business, science and politics must work together to make AI a basic technology in all industries and economic sectors if Germany is to remain competitive as a digital location,” emphasised Sidonie Krug, Head of Association Communications and Spokesperson for Political Communications at the eco Association, in summary.

To the Flickr-Fotoalbum photo album
Too the AI Future Tech project page