The age of AI is here
AI – Between trend and hype
“AI is here to stay,” say Harry Neumayer and Helmut Hödl from NTS with a wink. They know that AI is more than just a short-lived trend; rather, it is a development that is not new, but is only just gaining momentum. AI will change the rules of the game, with ambivalent feelings, uncertain legal frameworks and major changes in its wake. Harry Neumayer, the creative mind behind a 400-strong engineering team, and Helmut Hödl, the product and technology visionary, talk about this.
Artificial intelligence – what does NTS think? Trend or hype?
Helmut Hödl: In our company, one thing always comes first: We take our responsibility to our customers seriously. For us, this means that we don’t simply chase after every new trend just because everyone else is doing so. We focus on consistency and security. So before we implement something new for our customers or decide to work with other companies, we take a very close look. We ask ourselves, is this really the right thing for us and, above all, for our customers? In short, we are not the kind of people who get caught up in all the hype. Our goal at NTS is not only to offer innovative solutions, but also to ensure that our customers can use them responsibly and effectively.
Harry Neumayer: Artificial intelligence is not a new phenomenon, but has been an integral part of our world for some time. Recent advances in the areas of Large Language Models (LLM) and generative AI have ushered in a particularly exciting phase, as they are now receiving increasing attention from society as a whole. In particular, there has been a remarkable development in the area of understanding and interpreting texts, thanks to the ability to extract meaning from texts and create answers or analyses based on this. This makes these models relevant to a wide audience and I am convinced that this is not just a trend. Rather, we are at the beginning of a development that will gain further momentum thanks to massive investments by leading technology companies. An exciting time awaits us, and we are already in the midst of it.
“It’s like having a Ferrari in the garage but still learning how to drive it. Exciting, a bit scary, but full of possibilities. Now we just have to make sure we control the speed and don’t crash into the data privacy wall!”
Quote suggestion by ChatGPT Based on this interview, with the instruction that it can be “cheeky”.How will AI change our day-to-day work?
Hödl: AI will revolutionize our everyday work. For example, our internal work processes, i.e. the way we search for data, will be affected. Instead of long searches in documents, tickets, the ERP system or other databases, questions will be asked. Based on this, the AI searches through all possible sources and provides answers. This not only saves a lot of time, but also makes processes leaner. Even similar projects or resources from manufacturer partners can be included in order to provide the best possible answer.
One example for such a question could be: “What is the status of the completion of the installation at location AB at customer XY?” The AI then retrieves all relevant and available information. It analyzes data from the ERP system regarding orders and deliveries, browses through documentation, open and closed tickets, known incidents and many other available sources to provide a comprehensive answer. Or, for example, it looks for a solution to a technical problem that has already occurred. The AI can access previous cases, a knowledge base and sources from the manufacturer and suggest the best solution for the current point in time based on this.
What could this mean for the working world of tomorrow?
Neumayer: A particularly interesting field is developing in the area of knowledge management. The challenge here is often to make knowledge that is scattered across many platforms findable and usable. LLMs could bring about a major change here by making it possible to not only find this knowledge through search queries, but also to make it accessible by asking specific questions. This development could revolutionize access to and use of information and make a huge contribution to increasing efficiency. For the working world of tomorrow, this means finding people who have the ability to formulate, interpret and check suitable questions. This will open up many new opportunities.
Hödl: By taking over the routine work, AI gives us the freedom to focus on the parts of our work that require human creativity, strategic thinking and emotional intelligence. Despite all the technological advances and potential challenges, humans remain irreplaceable for me. AI should serve as a tool that expands our capabilities and supports us.
“For the working world of tomorrow, this means finding people who have the ability to formulate, interpret and review suitable questions. This will open up many new opportunities.”
HARRY NEUMAYER Chief Operating Officer, NTSAnd what about legal requirements?
Neumayer: The main challenge will be to use AI technologies without neglecting security and compliance standards. It will be necessary to pay attention to data security and compliance, to understand the guidelines and to proceed along the lines of what is feasible. It will be crucial to find a good balance between the regulations and your own competitive advantage.
Hödl: A critical issue is the provision of AI models, which often run via US clouds. A European solution is needed here. We are making sure that we inform our customers transparently and honestly. In the course of this, we are already analyzing the effects of the regulation that is coming our way. We are currently working with FH Joanneum and analyzing the EU’s AI Act, among other things, in order to be able to better assess the requirements and framework conditions that will result from the regulation for our customers and ourselves, without compromising on security. This is the responsible path we want to take, and our customers expect the same from us.