Today, I came across several interesting posts on my timeline that got me thinking. As part of our AI Compass project, we are collecting studies and discussions on how artificial intelligence could actually affect our work or make it redundant. And how we can prepare ourselves accordingly or support other people to keep up with this sometimes dramatic development.
After the initial studies and considerations, I thought that these voice-based AI models could primarily affect knowledge workers. They do, but there is more to come: it seems obvious that in future we will be able to talk to almost everything immersively and have the world we want generated in real time by AI. The physical and digital worlds are growing together. Movies, buildings, hospitals, schools, etc. – all AI-generated – via voice commands or prompts that we formulate. Visualizing this sounds like science fiction, but it is probably not decades in the future.
A silent but profound change is therefore taking place in the world of technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) will then not only shape our everyday lives, but also the way we think about energy consumption and sustainability. Although AI is often associated with high energy requirements, real-life examples show that smart technologies can enable a more environmentally friendly future.
Efficient solutions through AI applications
One example of this is the commitment of companies such as Siemens and Microsoft, which are using their AI technologies to develop more energy-efficient systems and processes. (This is not an advertisement, but really exciting!) Siemens, for example, has realized significant energy savings through the use of AI in automation technology. Your systems can carry out predictive maintenance and thus not only save energy, but also extend the service life of machines.
Microsoft, on the other hand, uses AI to optimize the energy consumption of its data centers. Thanks to intelligent cooling systems and energy-efficient server management, the company is significantly reducing its electricity requirements and CO2 emissions. These measures are part of Microsoft’s broader goal of using only renewable energy sources by 2025.
This recorded conversation here is really interesting about their collaborative ambitions.
The Siemens Industrial Copilot: Efficiency through intelligence
One of the things they discuss in the video is the Siemens Industrial Copilot, which is a good example of how AI can help make industrial processes more efficient and sustainable. This AI platform supports technicians and engineers in mastering complex tasks such as programming automation code or diagnosing and rectifying machine problems.
With the ability to understand natural language and respond to technical requests in real time, Copilot not only reduces the time needed for routine tasks, but also helps to minimize errors and optimize operations. This increase in efficiency leads to lower energy consumption and a reduction in overall operating costs, making the “Siemens Industrial Copilot” a valuable tool in the effort to make industrial processes more environmentally friendly.
From AI support to sustainable practice
I then searched further and followed the video recommendation to watch this equally impressive keynote speech by the Siemens CEO. I slowly began to suspect that GenAI would fundamentally change the way we think about industry.
Accordingly, AI also makes a significant contribution to sustainability in product development and materials management. The ability of AI systems to analyze large amounts of data and suggest optimizations enables companies to reduce material waste and implement more efficient production methods. A striking example of this is the use of digital twins in the manufacturing industry, which allows products to be tested and optimized virtually before the actual production process begins.
The role of the metaverse and digital assistants
I watched these videos against the background of an article about an interview with Jim Keller that I read that morning.
His predictions, such as that content will be generated almost exclusively by AIs in ten years’ time, point to a transformation in how we consume and interact with media. Instead of watching traditional movies, we could immerse ourselves in interactive, AI-generated experiences. This underlines the potential of AI to go far beyond simple text generation and enable complex, creative and interactive applications that could fundamentally change the way we live and work. This culminated in this statement:
“All software that has ever been written will disappear.” And further: “This will happen sooner than you think. One hundred percent.”
This vision shows how AI is further blurring the boundaries between reality and the digital world, creating new forms not only of entertainment but also of professional and everyday interaction. Such far-reaching changes in the technological landscape could help companies and individuals to act more efficiently, purposefully and sustainably.
Challenges and opportunities
Of course, there are also considerable challenges. The high energy requirements of AI systems are a hurdle that should not be underestimated. However, the solution is probably not to do without AI, but to develop ever more energy-efficient AI systems and increase the use of renewable energies. In addition, the promotion of open standards and the reduction of dependencies, as noted by Keller, is crucial to ensure broad acceptance and application of sustainable technologies.
To summarize, AI is more than just a tool for marketing and automation. It is a decisive factor on the way to a more sustainable world. By using AI intelligently, it can help to save energy, use resources more efficiently and minimize the environmental impact of industrial processes. Of course we can and perhaps should talk about degrowth strategies. But how realistic is this in a world that remains neoliberal?
The future will show how these technologies will shape our world, but one thing seems certain to me: a sustainable future requires modern technologies – and AI will play a central role in this. Incidentally, this is also the opinion of the experts we interviewed in the new EcoTech MOOC that has just been published. But only by the way.
What you should learn
So, what do you need in terms of know-how, even if some people have already claimed that not everyone needs to learn prompt. I’m not sure about that either, but it certainly doesn’t hurt if you want to move around in a language-generated world.
So it’s a good thing that the CLC Promptathon hybrid is taking place tomorrow. You can still register!
Update on 24.04.2024
I came across this article today in the FAZ newsletter on d:economy.
Vom digitalen Zwilling zur Realität: Die Macht der KI im Industrial Metaverse
Summary by ChatGPT
The article “From digital twin to reality: the power of AI in the industrial metaverse” by Nina Müller reports on the latest developments and the growing importance of digital twins in the industrial sector, particularly in the context of Hannover Messe 2024. Digital twins are virtual models of machines and robots that are used to test and train them in a simulated environment before they are used in the real world. Companies such as Siemens, SAP and Schunk will be demonstrating how generative AI technologies and the Industrial Metaverse help to accelerate and improve the development and monitoring of prototypes.
The article highlights that the Industrial Metaverse – an industrial offshoot of the more general Metaverse concept – is increasingly becoming a reality, with Siemens playing a leading role with its Xcelerator platform. In contrast to Mark Zuckerberg’s socially oriented metaverse, the industrial metaverse focuses on practical applications in industry, such as real-time monitoring and improving the properties of machines using artificial intelligence.
Despite the impressive possibilities, there are challenges on the way to full implementation of the Industrial Metaverse, including high costs, a lack of necessary expertise and difficulties in integrating new technologies into existing systems. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential and applications of the Industrial Metaverse, which is supported by partnerships and platforms such as Nvidia’s Omniverse, which can render digital twins in near-photorealistic fashion.