Opportunity or risk: Cooperation of German companies with Big Tech

Bosch is fully committed to artificial intelligence and works closely with Microsoft. But digital experts warn that German industry is too dependent on US tech giants. From the high-pressure pump to the spark plug: at Bosch, every product has already been associated with artificial intelligence. This is what the company itself says - and by this means: The products contain AI or were manufactured with their help. AI is already present at Bosch in some form at all locations - but especially at the one in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. This is where many AI applications are tested before they are rolled out worldwide. Bosch has been working with the US company Microsoft since the beginning of the year. From the Swabian Feuerbach out into the world, this will be concrete at the Bosch plant Feuerbach in the so-called morning round. The shift leader comes together with employees. In advance, however, the AI came into play - in the form of an agent. This is a kind of digital assistant that can not only answer questions, but also perform tasks independently. This agent is currently being tested in Feuerbach and has arisen, among other things, from the cooperation with Microsoft. Using data, the specific agent for the morning round automatically identifies the most important risks in production, evaluates them and provides suitable recommendations. The AI not only looks back 24 hours, but also 24 hours forward. So the agent takes the shift leaders, according to Bosch work. Keyword: increase in productivity. According to Elisabeth Schwarz, responsible for digitalization in production at the Feuerbach plant, this is already having an effect: the digitally assisted morning lap already saves shift leaders eight hours a week compared to the old model. They could invest in other tasks such as leadership and improvement work. According to a Bosch spokesperson, this is how the cooperation works: Microsoft primarily brings the IT and software infrastructure with it - Bosch the data from production. On the subject of data protection and US dependency, Bosch says: "Data sovereignty remains with Bosch." A spokesperson for the company added: "In all business processes, Bosch ensures the protection of privacy, the protection of personal data and the security of all business information in compliance with legal requirements." The topic of data security is Bosch “extremely important”. Bosch also operates plants in the US, Asia and other parts of Europe. The main obstacles are regulation. "Europe has relatively strict regulations regarding the use of AI," explains the Bosch spokesperson: We have to be careful in Europe that the requirements for the use of AI are not handled too strictly here, which could also make Europe unattractive in global competition. Bosch also manufactures its own AI solutions, but Bosch also manufactures its own AI solutions and makes them available to other companies. Several agents were developed via the "Manufacturing Co-Intelligence" platform, which Bosch developed together with Microsoft. One example is the shop floor agent: according to Bosch, it detects disruptions faster, limits causes and suggests solutions. This helps to significantly reduce downtime and documentation costs on the production line. According to Bosch, for example, this AI is already in use at Sick AG in Villingen-Schwenningen, a global manufacturer of sensors for factories, logistics and automation technology. Artificial intelligence is the decisive lever for future-proofing German and European industry in global competition. Dependencies too big: Has Bosch learned little? Digital expert Mirko Ross is critical of a collaboration between Bosch and Microsoft in the field of artificial intelligence. Ross advises companies on cybersecurity. He writes on SWR's request: "The report suggests that Bosch has learnt little or nothing from experiences with operating systems, business applications and cloud in terms of dependency." According to Ross, Microsoft and the US government determine who gets access to powerful AI. “German companies are already disadvantaged here by export restrictions by withholding models of the latest generation or certain functions or can only be used by US companies.” Microsoft already determines the price for the use of business-critical software through market dominance – the same is to be expected with artificial intelligence, Ross explains. Ross sees AI as the key technology of the future AI as the key technology of the future that will significantly determine productivity and competitiveness. “Not relying on sovereign solutions here carries considerable risks,” Ross continues. Ross wants German industry to invest significantly in European AI solutions. He believes: "The funds that Bosch invests in Microsoft would have a significantly better future dividend if invested in European AI models and tools."