"AI changes how we work - not whether"

Weingarten - On Tuesday, March 24, the Institute for Digital Change (IDW) at Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences (RWU) hosted the "IDW Impulse" event for the third time. This year's topic was artificial intelligence (AI).

The IDW organized the evening in a kind of "triad", as Professor Dr. Wolfram Höpken, head of the institute, put it. Three speakers shed light on the topic from different perspectives.

Professor Jürgen Graef from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science began with the social perspective and addressed the sharp decline in available junior positions in many industries. Due to the further development of AI in recent years, companies are making savings in this area in particular.

Students need to be prepared for professions that do not yet exist

He shows what this can mean in concrete terms for career starters. Some tasks in companies are now being completely taken over by AI, especially those that are usually performed by young professionals.

The tech sector, among others, is particularly affected by this. But customer service employees, accountants and auditors are also among the most AI-exposed professions. As a result, it is not only fundamentally more difficult for young people to enter the profession, they are also often no longer able to perform the tasks and learn the skills they were expecting when they started their studies.

At the same time, this results in new fields of work and new skills that young professionals need to learn. The task of universities, in turn, is to prepare students for entering a profession that does not yet exist.

Marc Bohner identifies use cases for artificial intelligence at Rafi in Berg

Marc Bohner from Rafi shed light on the topic from the company side. He is responsible for AI at the company and, together with his team, identifies cases in which it makes sense for the company to use artificial intelligence.

"AI changes how we work - not whether," says Marc Bohner, summarizing the company's approach in this regard. Rafi is a leading international manufacturer of electromechanical components and systems with a total of eight locations and around 2,200 employees.

Bohner reports that AI has so far been used at Rafi in the form of its own platforms, specialized helpers for specific tasks and for the automation of workflows. They want to expand the areas of application in the future. The challenges include the measurability of the success of AI measures and the control that the company relinquishes as a result.

AI has already arrived in the social and healthcare sector

Professor Dr. Jörg Wendorff from the Faculty of Social Work, Health and Care reported from the field that artificial intelligence has also arrived in the social and healthcare sector and provided an overview of the exact areas in which it is used.

For example, AI can calculate risks for illnesses quite reliably in advance. In surgery, it is used in the form of robotic assistants. In many countries, it is also used to assess child welfare risks, recognize patterns for social assistance or identify high-risk factors.

Opportunities in the use of AI in this sector include increased efficiency, relief and objectification. On the other hand, he sees challenges, for example in terms of data protection and the quality of data that artificial intelligence can provide.

In a concluding panel discussion, the audience was able to exchange views with all three speakers. "IDW Impulse" is a cross-faculty event that all interested parties can attend by registering in advance. Once a year, presentations and discussions provide updates, impulses and future prospects on a specific topic related to digitalization.

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Text: Caroline Kolb