German industry grapples with AI at trade fair

19 hours ago 5
A antheral   interacts with humanoid robot astatine  the booth of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research during the opening   of the Hannover MesseA antheral interacts with humanoid robot astatine the booth of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research during the opening of the Hannover Messe. Photo: RONNY HARTMANN / AFP/File
Source: AFP

Artificial quality is acceptable to bring sweeping alteration to modern life, but astatine an concern just successful Germany galore companies wonderment however they acceptable into the tech revolution.

"We usage ChatGPT a bit," shrugged 1 concern representative, from a metals processor based successful confederate Germany, astatine this week's Hannover Messe.

The expo grouping 4,000 firms promised visitors ways to "experience the future" and research AI's "practical applications successful areas specified arsenic production, robotics and energy, each astatine their ain pace".

One eye-catching show -- a gigantic Rolls-Royce craft motor whose accumulation was optimised by AI from Microsoft and German institution Siemens -- drew galore funny onlookers.

But connected the sidelines, the tiny and mean enterprises (SMEs) that are the backbone of Germany's economy -- the alleged Mittelstand -- often had little to accidental connected the subject.

Andrea Raaf of Herz Aetztechnik, which uses lasers to marque conveyance and electronics parts, said AI was not up to the job.

"The parts we manufacture are precise individual, truthful we can't truly spot the constituent of AI," she told AFP.

Siemens AG CEO Roland Busch astatine  the Hannover Messe concern   commercialized   just  for mechanical and electrical engineering and integer  industries, connected  March 30, 2025Siemens AG CEO Roland Busch astatine the Hannover Messe concern commercialized just for mechanical and electrical engineering and integer industries, connected March 30, 2025. Photo: RONNY HARTMANN / AFP/File
Source: AFP

Others person been much engaged, including family-owned Koerner Electric, which said it has been utilizing AI for the past 3 years.

Standing successful beforehand of custom-built circuit boards, its method manager Dennis Koerner said AI had helped with the manufacturing process and to analyse optical and electrical measurements.

"We person written a tiny AI with which we can make programming overmuch faster," said Koerner.

"It was indispensable to get faster and much unchangeable results without needing respective employees for the job."

Lagging down

A Rolls Royce craft  motor  is connected  presumption    during the opening   of the Hannover Messe concern   commercialized   fairA Rolls Royce craft motor is connected presumption during the opening of the Hannover Messe concern commercialized fair. Photo: RONNY HARTMANN / AFP/File
Source: AFP

Once a byword for precocious technology, German manufacture knows that it is lagging down US and Chinese contention erstwhile it comes to the integer technologies that volition predominate the adjacent century.

Many German firms stay unsure however to usage the rapidly evolving exertion successful the benignant of high-end engineering they specialise in.

"It's important not to shy distant from introducing AI," said Agnes Heftberger, managing manager of Microsoft Germany. "Otherwise Germany volition find itself lagging down successful the look of planetary competition."

Also featured astatine the just were alleged "AI agents", systems which autonomously execute tasks from penning codification to assisting with conversations.

Microsoft offers systems to enactment instrumentality information into elemental connection and place attraction needs successful advance.

A visitant  walks past   a motion   speechmaking  'Industrial AI successful  Action' during the opening   of the Hannover MesseA visitant walks past a motion speechmaking 'Industrial AI successful Action' during the opening of the Hannover Messe. Photo: RONNY HARTMANN / AFP/File
Source: AFP

But Loke Olsen, an automation technologist astatine Confirm A/S, a Danish subcontractor to the pharmaceutical industry, was somewhat sceptical astir AI's imaginable errors and quality to close itself.

"We person to beryllium definite that AI works 100 percent due to the fact that we person to comply with precise strict wellness regulations," helium told AFP.

For some, outgo is an issue. Koerner said that it seems similar "we tin hardly afford" immoderate of the AI products being showcased astatine the fair.

'Game changer'

Almost fractional of German concern firms usage AI for immoderate concern functions, a Microsoft survey found, but astir are acold much reluctant to usage it to make their products.

Visitors analyse   a humanoid robot astatine  the booth of Microsoft and Sanctuary AIVisitors analyse a humanoid robot astatine the booth of Microsoft and Sanctuary AI. Photo: RONNY HARTMANN / AFP/File
Source: AFP

Only 7 percent of instrumentality builders program to follow generative AI to assistance with merchandise design, said a survey by the machinists' relation VDMA.

"There are immoderate archetypal attempts, but concern is inactive excessively low," said Guido Reimann, VDMA's lawman managing manager of bundle and digitalisation.

The survey recovered that GenAI, by optimising ratio and boosting sales, could rise the sector's yearly profits by galore billions of euros.

But though 52 percent of managers saw AI arsenic a imaginable "game changer", it said, "its usage has truthful acold often been constricted to experimental oregon proof-of-concept projects".

The apical concerns listed were a deficiency of information quality, shortages of AI specialists and method challenges.

Germany's Fraunhofer probe institute has been touring Germany since 2023, showing manufacturers factual AI applications from carpentry to healthcare.

A humanoid robot grabs a cube astatine  the booth of German Federal Ministry of Education and ResearchA humanoid robot grabs a cube astatine the booth of German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Photo: RONNY HARTMANN / AFP/File
Source: AFP

"It often helps to web smaller companies with each different due to the fact that AI ever works with data," said institute spokeswoman Juliane Segedi.

"The much information you have, the amended an AI tin become. And if you person a akin occupation that needs to beryllium solved, you tin excavation the information to travel up with a solution that is bully for everyone."

Other challenges remain. Many radical fearfulness AI volition 1 time bargain their job.

An important step, Segedi said, volition beryllium convincing labour unions to not "see AI arsenic a menace but arsenic thing that tin lend to their ideas".

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Source: AFP

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