The 30-page compendium “Artificial Intelligence in Practice” from the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (Fokus) addresses industry, politics and administration in equal measure. The authors place 10 topics under the microscope, from the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) via Quality Engineering through to Data Analytics. Examples from the institute practice should also elucidate which possible challenges might be faced in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). With regards to the IIoT, for example, there are explanations of how different technologies can be linked together and how requirements have to be fulfilled at the same time. That has many effects on the network or operating costs, as stated in the Whitepaper . The “Industry 4.0 suitcase” developed by the institute, including server and toolkit, will contribute to the decision-making process.

Two other Fraunhofer Institutes had already examined the use of AI in the production environment in Baden Württemberg in a study . As did the authors of the whitepaper, this study concluded that AI can be useful, but is only one of many tools that can be used to address problems: Before turning to AI, companies should first critically examine their own processes and ensure their organization is more open to change.