AI at NTS: between ambition and mindfulness
One thing is clear: AI will be with us for a long time to come. Every company wants to be at the forefront. They are investing, researching and looking for sustainable developments. It is important not to chase after every hype indiscriminately, but to handle new products and technologies responsibly so that everyone can benefit from the new opportunities. Harry Neumayer, Chief Operating Officer, and Helmut Hödl, Product and Technology Director, talk about how NTS is positioning itself, how the company uses AI internally and what role AI solutions from manufacturers play
How is AI being used internally at NTS?
Helmut Hödl: We are planning to use AI internally, or are already doing so in some areas, in order to optimize our own processes. This means that we are streamlining our processes and working more efficiently by automating routine tasks and improving our decision-making with data-supported insights. This enables us to offer our customers an even better service. Then there is the aspect of AI-based solutions from our manufacturing partners. Of course, we also test these solutions ourselves and select them for our own use according to the same principles as we do for our customers.
In which direction are AI technologies developing and what role does NTS play in this?
Hödl: It is important that we understand exactly what is available on the market and how these technologies can best be used for the benefit of our customers.
This requires not only a deep technical understanding, but also an understanding of the customer’s use case. Our task is therefore to find the right products for our customers and to build up expertise within the team. Finally, we support our customers in setting up their own AI infrastructure. One example here would be Flexpod AI, which was specially developed for the operation of AI models. This is particularly important in industries where data protection plays a major role, such as healthcare or finance. In these cases, it is often not possible or desirable to outsource data to the cloud. Instead, we help our customers to create their own AI stack that provides the necessary computing power directly on site. In doing so, we support our customers from planning and selecting the best technology partners through to implementation and maintenance. New high-end networks and special security requirements will also be increasingly in focus.
Harry Neumayer: One vision is that machines will increasingly take on tasks that previously required human experts. In the field of predictive maintenance and security, the use of AI technologies is becoming increasingly relevant and is changing the way we deal with data and security management. The ability to gain valuable insights from structured data and log files plays a crucial role in modern security concepts. In predictive maintenance, we use algorithms to make predictions from existing data sets. The aim is to identify potential problems before they occur by recognizing anomalies and patterns in the data. These algorithms are able to adapt to changing conditions and provide increasingly accurate predictions. Anomaly detection is therefore becoming an important part of identifying potential security threats at an early stage.
We support our customers from the planning stage through the selection of the best technology partners to implementation and maintenance.
What does this mean for the employees at NTS?
Neumayer: We are currently working on gaining a general understanding and a clear view of these technologies and making decisions based on this. AI can change and improve the way we work by allowing us to draw valuable insights from large amounts of data and thus respond more proactively to challenges.
The funniest idea I can think of at the moment is using AI to predict customer feedback. Specifically, this would be about letting the AI generate possible feedback that has not been received via our follow-up survey. This type of virtual feedback augmentation is of course not entirely serious, but it could provide us with valuable insights into the extent to which such models are applicable.
Which products in the AI sector have already established themselves?
Hödl: In the area of collaboration, we are already seeing AI being used to enhance images by adding or correcting missing information in images to increase quality and clarity. We are seeing similar advances in voice applications, where AI enables a consistent and improved listening experience by filling in gaps or optimizing sound quality. AI is also becoming increasingly indispensable in the security sector, for example to detect and analyze threats. Manufacturers are also integrating AI-based solutions that not only identify potential security risks, but also provide recommendations for remedying these risks. However, AI does not completely replace humans in this process. Rather, it complements human expertise by carrying out complex analyses more quickly and proposing solutions or courses of action. Ultimately, the review of the proposed solutions remains a human task to ensure that the measures really make sense.
“In my view, genuine creativity, humanity and commitment cannot be replaced by AI.”
Harry Neumayer Chief Operating Officer, NTSSo humans will not be completely replaced?
Hödl: No. Even though AI technologies are becoming more and more advanced and are being used in more and more areas, humans will remain the final authority in decision-making. The need for human expertise and review will not disappear.
Neumayer: The question of the controllability of AI will be central. Technical systems will continue to be implemented, built and maintained by humans. I don’t see the Terminator on the horizon yet. People will be needed, not only to review AI proposals, but also to understand, control and use the technology responsibly. In my view, real creativity, humanity and commitment cannot be replaced.