AI represents vast opportunities when cleaning up nuclear sites
Decommissioning nuclear research plants requires expertise across various fields, which makes it a complex task.
Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND) is a government-owned company established to ensure the safe and cost-effective decommissioning of nuclear facilities, as well as the management of waste, repurposing of materials, and environmental remediation of the affected areas.
AI is a technology that may enable segments of the decommissioning to be done in a simpler and more efficient manner. This is particularly important regarding tasks that pose a high risk to human workers. In such cases, machine learning, robotics and AI can be used to do the job.
Learn more about NND below.
A short presentation of the company
NND is responsible for decommissioning and environmental remediation of the sites that were earlier used for nuclear research.
This illustration depicts in broad terms the various aspects that NND must consider when decommissioning nuclear facilities. These include deconstruction, waste management and storage, material repurposing, and environmental remediation of the area.
How do you use AI in the company?
We are looking into the possibilities. Also taking into consideration safety issues.
Tell about a recent success story from your company or an exciting project you are working on.
NND develops a waste management IT solution. It might not sound so sexy, but it is important to build a modern yet robust, user-friendly and secure program that has the capability to keep track of millions of parts and their unique set of characteristics. For decades or even centuries, we must be able to go back and find where one certain piece is located
What goals does the company have for the future?
NND will clean the sites earlier used for nuclear research so that our children won’t have to worry about radioactive waste.
Why do you sponsor the AI+ conference?
The AI+ conference is a great opportunity to learn more about this fast-moving and highly important subject.
Facts about the company:
Name of business: Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND)
Number of employees: 38
Location: Halden
Industry: Nuclear Decommissioning and waste management
Briefly about the product/service: We will clean up the sites formerly used for nuclear research.
First company to deliver applied AI-based systems in Norway
Computas provides digital solutions and consulting services within IT, cloud, and big data, and their expertise lies primarily in public administration, health, energy, and logistics.
The company was founded in 1985, and AI has been a part of its DNA since the beginning. Computas was the first company in Norway to deliver systems based on applied artificial intelligence.
This experience and expertise were highly appreciated and needed in the process towards the Norwegian Museum of Science & Technology’s opening of a new, permanent AI exhibition in 2022. The museum wanted input and someone to help them realise the ideas, and from the project’s early idea phase in 2019, Computas contributed with advice on technology, technical solutions, and software.
Computas is 100 % owned by its 330 employees in Oslo, Trondheim, Malmö, Copenhagen and Bucharest.
Learn more about Computas below.
A short presentation of the company
David Skålid Amundsen, Computas, is one of the speakers on AI+ 2023.
Computas is a Nordic provider of digital solutions and consulting services within IT, cloud, big data, and AI. We deliver value-adding solutions benefiting the public for both the public and private sectors, and our expertise lies especially in public administration, health, energy, and logistics. Our interdisciplinary teams offer the expertise required throughout the digitization process. We work closely with our customers to develop tailor-made solutions with high usability.
Computas was established in Norway in 1985, initially as a subsidiary of Det Norske Veritas (now DNV GL) working with AI. Today the company is 100% owned by its 330 employees in Oslo, Trondheim, Malmø, Copenhagen and Bucharest.
How do you use AI in the company?
AI has been part of our DNA since we were founded in 1985. We were the first company in Norway to deliver systems based on applied artificial intelligence. This has been a sustainable foundation for the development and growth of the company and has gained renewed relevance through today’s focus on big data, artificial intelligence, and cloud-based solutions.
Tell about a recent success story from your company or an exciting project you are working on.
In 2022 Norwegian Museum of Science & Technology opened a new, permanent AI exhibition, and we are very proud to have contributed to this with our expertise. The museum wanted both ideas and input and, not least, a sparring partner who could guide them to ideas that could be realised. From the project’s early idea phase in 2019, Computas contributed with advice on technology, technical solutions, and software. For three years, Computas summer students were also tasked with creating various content for the exhibition.
What goals does the company have for the future?
Computas is 100% owned by its 330 dedicated employees. We care about people and society, and the company has a proud history of bridging the gap between technology and humans since the 80s. Today, technology is an important part of businesses and people’s daily lives. But there are still many challenges to be solved. Digitalization and AI are important parts of the solution. We want people to experience Computas as a company that takes part in creating meaningful solutions for people, for society and for customers – in a way that creates excitement!
Why do you sponsor the AI+ conference?
We sponsor and participate in the AI+ conference because AI is more relevant than ever, and we want to share our expertise and experience. Through this, we hope to contribute to businesses and society in succeeding with the innovative, efficient, and ethical use of AI.
Facts about the company:
Name of business: Computas
Number of employees: 330
Location: Oslo, Trondheim, Copenhagen, Malmö and Bucharest
Christopher Frenning, Microsoft, on stage at AI+ 2022. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen, ContentVideo
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not just a futuristic technology or an exclusive tool for experts; it’s all around us, and its influence on society is growing by the day. To better understand the impact of AI and explore its potential, it’s essential to have a platform where those who are interested in AI can meet, discuss, and learn from each other.
Christopher Frenning, a representative from Microsoft Norway, attended AI+ 2022 and emphasized the importance of bringing researchers, economists, politicians, and other stakeholders together to share their perspectives on AI’s role in shaping society.
According to Frenning, Microsoft believes in democratizing access to AI to ensure that everyone benefits from this technology. From fundamental research to developing AI technologies and making them accessible to all, Microsoft is committed to making AI available to everyone.
Thanks to Microsoft’s platform, companies worldwide can build practical, real-life AI applications and contribute to the ongoing digitalization and innovation process. AI is a powerful tool that can positively impact our daily lives and help build companies and services that make our society a better place.
Digitalizing and improving solutions of societal importance
Kantega has a task of national significance ahead when collaborating with Enova in making the governmental company more data-driven. With a yearly investment of four to six billion NOK in climate and energy measures, Enova is a central actor in helping Norway reach its climate targets. With the help from Kantega, Enova’s solutions for support schemes will be improved through a new data- and analysis platform. Working with analytical data in a new and more efficient way will be a great contribution to Enova’s success in their mission.
Learn more about Kantega below.
A short presentation of the company
Kantega is an IT consulting company 100% owned by the employees. Our mission is to help our clients build business-critical software systems. We aim to be a one-stop shop by having a broad range of expertise ranging from data scientists, data engineers, cloud architects, UX designers, full stack developers, as well as consultants with deep skills in areas such as innovation and business development, security, system integration and test & quality management.
Our clients dominate domains such as banking & finance, the public sector, mobility, and green energy.
Kantega uses AI to help customers build business-critical software systems.
How does Kantega use AI?
We use AI in many ways depending on our customers’ needs, ranging from using computer vision to identify objects in a video stream to developing machine learning models to predict default on bank loans.
We also aim to take our own medicine by becoming more data-driven in our own organization, using AI to improve our core processes. We are experimenting with various machine learning techniques, including the new GPT models from Open AI.
Tell about a recent success story from the company or an exciting project you are working on.
In our most recent project, which will run through 2023, we will help Enova become a more data-driven organization. Norway has set ambitious climate targets, and Enova will contribute through support schemes and advice on which measures have the most significant effect. Part of the contribution from Kantega will be to establish a new data- and analysis platform and new ways of working with analytical data to make Enova succeed in their mission.
What goals does the company have for the future?
We believe that our clients will have to become more data-driven in the future, and we aim to help them succeed in their digital transformation. Part of the success will be to combine business understanding, deep technical skills, and a cross-functional approach where people with different competencies work together.
Why does Kantega sponsor the AI+ conference?
Conferences like AI+ are an excellent opportunity for us to meet with new potential partners and clients and gain new insights into tech, needs and solutions.
Facts about the company:
Name of business: Kantega AS
Number of employees: 200
Locations: Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen
Industry: IT Consulting
Briefly about the product/service: Helping our clients build mission-critical software systems for their businesses.
AI for Energy Management: Smart Homes to Sustainable Smart Cities
As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change and the need for sustainable living, there is an increasing need for innovative solutions to use the produced energy efficiently. Moreover, with the rapid growth in population and urbanization, there is an increasing demand for energy. Therefore, energy consumption management has become a crucial aspect of modern society.
With the advancement of technology, several solutions can be developed with the use of wireless sensors, Home Area Network (HAN) devices, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
IoT networks are proven to be very successful when it comes to monitoring and controlling tasks in several applications like smart homes and buildings, e-health, etc. A smart home is a residence that uses IoT technology to automate various systems and appliances, including lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) [1].
Therefore, this technology is utilized to monitor the unnecessary consumption of electricity in buildings and helps in controlling smart appliances remotely. For example, smart lighting can turn off when a room is unoccupied, and appliances can be automatically switched off when not in use. This results in optimized energy consumption and saving money on utility bills for smart home users. An illustration of a technology-enabled smart home is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: An illustration of a technology-enabled smart home.
Improve efficiency and reduce consumption
Furthermore, with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the technology that enables machines to learn and think like humans, smart home energy management solutions can be made even more efficient by analyzing patterns in energy consumption and providing insights to help reduce energy waste.
The use of AI has become a popular solution to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption. This is done using IoT-enabled appliances in smart homes, which have sensors that gather data on energy consumption and then use that data to optimize energy usage. AI can analyze this data to identify patterns in energy use and make recommendations for optimizing energy usage while considering the user’s comfort [2].
For instance, a smart thermostat can adjust the temperature in a home based on occupancy and outdoor temperature, reducing energy usage when no one is home or when it is unnecessary to maintain a specific temperature.
Smart homes can also be integrated with renewable energy systems, such as solar panels or wind turbines, to help reduce the reliance on fossil fuels. AI can optimize the use of renewable energy by predicting when the most energy will be generated and then using that energy when it is most needed.
Look to Copenhagen!
Beyond smart homes, AI can also be used to optimize energy consumption in commercial buildings, such as office buildings and shopping centres. When implemented on a large scale, AI is also playing a critical role in the development of sustainable smart cities. These cities use cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure to improve the quality of life for residents while reducing their environmental impact.
AI can help manage the energy consumption of entire communities by analyzing data from sensors and devices and using predictive models to forecast energy demand and optimize energy distribution.
For instance, AI can be used to analyze patterns of energy consumption in different parts of the city and adjust the distribution of energy accordingly. This can help balance the load on the energy grid, reduce energy waste, and lower costs.
One example of smart city implementation is Copenhagen which began to use AI to optimize its heating system [3]. The system uses AI to analyze weather patterns and optimize heating in buildings, reducing energy consumption by a significant amount.
What are the challenges?
The future of AI-enabled energy management solutions at the smart home and city level is very bright. One key advantage of AI in energy management is its ability to learn and adapt over time. As more data is collected, machine learning algorithms become more accurate, enabling more effective energy management. This is particularly important in the context of smart cities, where the volume of data generated can be enormous. AI can help manage this data and make sense of it, providing insights that can inform energy policies and infrastructure planning.
The benefits of using AI in energy management bring some challenges as well. One of the main challenges is ensuring data privacy and security. The use of AI involves collecting and analyzing large amounts of data, and this data might contain sensitive information about users in smart homes.
Moreover, the users also become less willing to share their home energy consumption data with the service providers. However, this challenge can be mitigated with the use of an edge computing framework with AI technology [4]. Edge computing framework does not require the sharing of users’ data with the central server. It processes the data at end users and performs intelligent decisions.
Another challenge is the need for interoperability between different systems and devices when it is extended over the smart city level. Thus, it requires the development of common standards and protocols to ensure interoperability and compatibility.
In conclusion, the use of AI in energy management has the potential to transform the way we use and manage energy. With the ongoing success of smart homes, researchers and experts are now looking to apply AI to larger areas such as smart cities. The use of AI in smart cities has the potential to be transformative in terms of sustainable energy management. While there are challenges that need to be addressed, AI can play a critical role in building a sustainable future for upcoming generations.
References:
[1] Alam, M.R., Reaz, M.B.I. and Ali, M.A.M., 2012. A review of smart homes—Past, present, and future. IEEE transactions on systems, man, and cybernetics, part C (applications and reviews), 42(6), pp.1190-1203.
[2] Prieto González, L., Fensel, A., Gómez Berbís, J.M., Popa, A. and de Amescua Seco, A., 2021. A survey on energy efficiency in smart homes and smart grids. Energies, 14(21), p.7273.
[3] Bergsteinsson, H.G., Nielsen, T.S., Møller, J.K., Amer, S.B., Dominković, D.F. and Madsen, H., 2021. Use of smart meters as feedback for district heating temperature control. Energy Reports, 7, pp.213-221.
[4] Redhu, S., Singh, A., and Bremdal, B., “Edge Computing for Improving Energy Management in Smart Homes,” in CIRED 2023.
Highlights from AI+ 2022
The AI+ conference gathers experts, politicians, business people, and others interested in or related to artificial intelligence (AI) in some way or another.
From 3 May to 4 May, 2023, the place to be is Halden, Norway, with speeches, discussions, learnings, socializing and meetings between new and old friends and partners. The common topic for the program will be the latest news on applied AI, so you should not miss out on this yearly and international event.
While waiting, look at some of the pictures from last year’s conference and be excited about what awaits you in May.
Enjoy!
All photos: Stein Johnsen, ContentVideo
VIDEO: The human understanding of machine learning
– But what I find the most interesting is when machines solve problems that we cannot solve ourselves or when we don’t know what machines have learned, she continues.
Inga Strümke was one of the speakers at last year’s AI+ conference. From the stage in Halden, she led the audience through some examples of her fascination with AI – and some of the challenges.
– The better we make machines at explaining themselves, the better we will make them in justifying themselves. I don’t want to enter a future where machines are excellent at justifying bad decisions.
Magnus Carlsen and SHAP
She also gave a glimpse of the complexity of explainable AI (XAI).
– You cannot test your way to understanding a sizeable machine-learning model because of the Curse of Dimensionality, which refers to a set of problems that arise when working with high-dimensional data.
Strümke also presented a vast problem that, although she has been researching it for several years, she considers as a possible unsolvable problem: Machines will model non-human concepts.
In addition, chess players like Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov, stop signs and speed limit signs, and SHAP (a mathematical method for explaining predictions of machine learning models) are among the elements in Strümke’s presentation.
Why attend AI+ 2023?
The AI+ Media Team asked Dr Strümke a few questions after her speech. One of them was “Who would you like to see on stage or in the audience at AI+ 2023?”, and this is what she answered:
– When do we trust machines? Are people flawless?
Glenn Henriksen argued in his speech that we expect a higher level of precision from machines and computers than we do from humans. Is this fair, or are we forsaking efficiency for no good reason?
By Lars Johannessen, May 12, 2022
Glenn Henriksen on stage during his talk on regulations. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen
Head of Technology and System Development at Justify, Glenn Henriksen gave us an interesting look into the use of artificial intelligence in processing legal forms and documents. He set the scene by proclaiming that Justify aim to make law accessible for more people. In terms of being able to understand, but more importantly by making it cheaper. The way to do this, according to Glenn, is by scaling without adding more humans to the tasks, and this is where AI comes in. Software and machine learning have the potential to free up a lot of time that is spent on reviewing standardized forms and documents. There is however a challenge connected to this, and that is that humans can make errors and fill out forms wrongly in an almost infinite number of ways.
Take a look at the images from day 2 at AI+ 2022. Use the arrows to navigate between the pictures. PHOTOS: Sein Johnsen
This poses a challenge for AI and machine learning because there can suddenly be an error in a document that is unlike anything the software has seen or trained on. Glenn went on to explain that perhaps this is not the greatest issue after all.
– Ok, so let us say it (the software) discovers an anomaly. We will have it flag that document and send it over to a human who can go through it. The software goes back to processing thousands of documents, and the human resource will go through the few ones that are flagged, Glenn explained.
This led to the point that Glenn was making, we want our software to be without flaw, when we know that humans are not. If we expect ai and machine learned software to be perfect right out the gate, we might be let down. Glenn summarized it by saying “Ai is overestimated in short term, and underestimated long term.”. Ai and machine learning works best over time, with substantial amounts of data to train on, so the best way to do this is to start using them.
Hostess Ruth Astrid Sæter welcoming the crowd to AI for beginners. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen
Day two of AI+ started with two parallel sessions taking place simultaneously – AI for beginners at Brygga kultursal, and AI for experts at Institute For Energy technology (IFE). Ruth Astrid Sæter, the hostess of this years AI+ conference opened the session at Brygga kultursal and introduced Karl-Magnus Haugen, CEO at airMont to the stage for his talk on how simple, stupid data becomes intelligent with AI.
At the same time in IFE’s auditorium, Division Director for Digital systems at IFE, Tomas Norlander welcomed the audience who joined the AI for experts session welcome and gave a short introduction to his background in AI and IFE’s history in regards to nuclear science and use of AI. Tomas then invited Alexandre de Oliviera e Sousa, Solutions Manager at Cognite AS to take the floor for his talk on AI in industrial context.
Tomas Nordlander introduces todays speakers for the expert session. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen
The two sessions the continued in parallel until lunch was served. The AI for beginners crowd got to hear Jan Erik Gausdal, senior advisor at Eye-share, talk about “How can AI simplify accounting tasks in your business?”, followed by Associate Professor at Østfold University College, Lars Vidar Magnusson explain AI in “Top-down image analysis”. Elisabeth Haugsbø, Head of Data at HUB Ocean, rounded of the session by explaining how “Data grooming for AI” is done.
The audience at AI for experts was treated to affiliated professor at Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Roberto V. Zicari’s talk on “Trust and AI”. He was followed by Jørgen Torgersen, CTO of Railway Robotics, and Christian Svalesen, Data Scientist at BearingPoint, talk about their project “AI for railway maintenance”. Andreas Risvaag, full-stadd developer at Heimdall Power finished the expert session with his talk on “A startup approach to AI for power grid efficiency” and how AI is used in preventing breaks and issues in the power grid.
Dr. Inga Strümke as she lectures the audience on how machines make decisions without us.
Post lunch was opened by Henrik Fagerholt, Product Manager at Gyldendal Rettsdata, talk about “Lawyers, Law Tech and AI”. Henrik was followed by Dr. Inga Strümke, XAI researcher, TEDx speaker, and Particle Physicist at NTNU deliver an entertaining and somewhat unnerving talk on explainable AI. Inga stated that “Machines might be, and probably are, modelling non-human concepts”, and that self-driving cars have been proven to be mislead by pieces of tape strategically placed on stop signs, making them read it as a speed limit signs instead. Following Inga was Glenn Henriksen, focusing on the possibilities of AI in processing legal documents and regulations for AI.
Torgeir Waterhouse. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen
As the last speaker, Torgeir Andrew Waterhouse, Founder and Partner at Otte, took the stage to deliver his views on “Security and society” and AI. Torgeir gave an enthralling speech on how we could merge democracy, economy, autonomy, and technology into our daily lives. He also pointed out that the need for cyber security has never been greater, and that we as society need to be more aware of this.
– One in four leaders think that they cannot be exposed to cyber-attacks. One in four leaders needs to leave their job, Torgeir proclaimed.
The day ended with a panel debate consisting of Torgeir Waterhouse, Elisabeth Haugsbø, Henrik Fagerholt, and Dr. Inga Strümke. The panel debated issues related to how AI will affect society, how we as humans should relate to AI and machine learning software and answered questions from the audience. A long day of captivating talks, inspiring ideas, and some possible spine-chilling outcomes of AI marked the end of this year’s AI+ conference. We hope to see you again in Halden for next year’s conference!
A special guest visited the opening day of AI+ 2022
By walking across the stage, the robot dog Spot showed artificial intelligence in practice and made everyone in Brygga kultursal stretch their necks as he entered the spotlight at the first day of the AI+ conference.
SPOT IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Annita Fjuke (left), Nils-Ola Widme and Ruth Astrid Sæther were impressed to see how the robot dog Spot moved around on stage. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen
Sitting together with the AI+ 2022 hostess Ruth Astrid Sæther on the stage sofa, Nils-Ola Widme from Abelia and Annita Fjuk from Digital Norway which were the speakers to enter the podium after the opening speech held by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, were informed that they would receive a special gift from an even more special gift presenter.
From the side of the stage, a blue robot dog entered the spotlight carrying two books on his back. As this is not an everyday sight even for AI enthusiasts, the four-legged robot got everyone’s attention while crossing the scene towards the three people on the sofa.
– Please welcome Spot, Sæther said.
The robot dog is developed by Boston Dynamics and Spot is a platform which Institute of Energy Technology (IFE) uses in research projects. IFE is also one of the initiators to the AI+ conference together with Smart Innovation Norway, eSmart Systems, Halden kommune and Cluster for Applied AI.
Historical soldiers and modern technology
This year’s conference is the third in a row, but it is the first full scale hybrid version with live audience. Halden is of course the place with Brygga kultursal as the conference venue surrounded by the historical city square and the harbor and protected by the Fredriksten fortress on top of the hill southeast of the city center.
A pre-opening of the conference took place on Monday with the social event AI & Beer where associated professor at Østfold University College, Henrik Skaug Sætra, talked about AI for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Historically dressed, the Fredrikshald Borgerbevæpning welcomed the guests standing in the sunshine outside the venue Tuesday morning. Fredrikshald Borgerbevæpning is an organization driven by volunteers aiming to preserve and bring the history of this civilian force which guarded the city from 1644 until 1881, to life.
The historical soldiers were a nice contrast to the subject of the two-day AI+ conference – the modern and rapidly growing technology of applied artificial intelligence.
SLIDESHOW: Pictures from AI+ 2022 day 1. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen
Wide range of speakers
After a cultural kick off with the percussionist Aleksander Kostopoulos who gave the audience a really wakening performance both visually and audially, the Mayor of Halden Anne-Kari Holm wished everyone a warm welcome to the town, and the Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held the opening speech digitally.
Støre spoke warmly about the national AI network and the importance of Norway keeping track of the AI development.
Throughout the day, speakers from Equinor, Digital Norway, Inmeta, Microsoft, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Chronos, Seidr, AI clinic, Oslo university hospital, Kristiania University College, Østfold University College, University of New South Wales in Sydney, Elhub, Abelia and VNNOR held presentations within some of the five topics of this year’s conference:
Smart City and mobility
AI enabled techonoly
Security, ethics and regulations
Environment and sustainability
Energy
From speeches to dinner
At lunch, the participants had a short walk through the southern part of the town to eat in Haldens Klub, Norway’s oldest eatery of their kind established in October 1786.
The second part of day 1 began with a second performance by percussionist Aleksander Kostopoulos, and 4,5 hours later, when host Ruth Astrid Sæther wrapped the day up and wished everyone a nice evening, members from Fredrikshald Borgervæpning were ready to give a historical guided tour through the city center.
During the afternoon, the conference venue got rearranged turned into a fantastic dining area with great decorations. The first day of AI+ 2022 ended with a pre-drink, a three-course dinner, speeches, and entertainment.
The AI film “Ex Machina” was shown at the Halden cinema theatre after an initiative taken by AI+.
Around 200 people attended the first day physically and about 100 people watched it digitally, and day 2 offers several interesting presentations and new meetings between people.
The future is data-driven: – Data is the gold of any company
One of today’s most long-term and desirable business resource is data. For decades, Norwegian companies have collected and stored data, and with AI as a constantly and rapidly growing technology, we finally have the tools to utilize much of the large amount of stored data.
THE VALUE IS IN THE DATA: Jon Jahren is Director Azure Cloud & AI at Microsoft Norway and encourage Norwegian companies to safeguard the real value of their businesses – the data. PHOTOS: Private
Norway and Norwegian industry are in a unique position regarding the scale of data accessible. Only five years ago, the focus both politically and industrially was Norwegian investments in AI and AI research.
Already then Director Azure Cloud & AI Jon Jahren at Microsoft Norway questioned the direction of Norwegian AI development.
– Practically all the algorithms you will need are already open-sourced and the cloud vendors are making them increasingly easy to use, so that’s not where the real value lies, he explains.
Hence, Norwegian companies should concentrate on collecting data and utilize it in the best possible way instead of using resources on developing their own algorithms.
– The data is the gold of any company. Be sure to secure the business gold and let the major tech vendors handle and develop AI, says Jahren.
How to become data-driven
In recent years, more and more companies have been aware of the importance and value of their data, and they have tended to change the use of their data resources and their approach to AI.
At Microsoft’s AI business school, they sum up the journey to become a data-driven organization in three bullet points:
Focus on being a data-driven company
Implement it through an including and joint change of the business’ culture
The use of AI must be responsible and ethical
– The first bullet point is about being aware of the data you collect and how it can be utilized. It’s also a matter of making the necessary tools needed to implement the change available in the organization, explains Jahren.
Adopting AI
Another challenge Microsoft faces, is the different industries’ and managers’ fear of the unknown. And even though AI increasingly has become a public domain the last years, it is still unfamiliar to numerous people.
The fear relates not only to one’s own competence, but also to the risk by using AI. Issues regarding ethics and privacy are highlighted, not because of the privacy itself, but because of the AI solution and whether it is secure enough.
One of Microsoft’s major tasks is the work they are doing on developing tools which are using explainable AI. Towards the customers, the algorithms in explainable AI can explain the choices that were made along the way and what is the reasoning behind the result.
Another important task to solve, is what is called differential privacy. In an ideal world, it is possible to build AI models from person sensitive data without the algorithm identifying the data. As an example, Norwegian health organizations have thousands of registers containing valuable data who when being ran through an algorithm can reveal patterns and correlations that humans are unable to see.
– We know there are information hidden in the data that can avert serious illness and improve patient predictions. But as of now, we don’t how to use the data and AI while at the same time ensuring privacy, says Jahren.
A third challenge to handle, is confidential computing. If you need to store or share personal information, you need a secure way to do so. When using a cloud, you must be sure that the cloud supplier under any circumstances doesn’t have an opportunity to access your information. Such solutions are becoming much cheaper and easier to use contributing to an increased adoption of AI into businesses.
– Solving issues like these mentioned, is probably one of the most important contributions from Microsoft, says Jahren.
– Responsible AI is important
Since both trust and reliability are important elements for succeeding a transformation and for adopting AI in an organization, Microsoft have created their own principles and adheres to them to ensure that their AI is responsible.
According to Microsoft, AI must be:
Fair and unbiased
Reliable and safe
Inclusive
Transparent
Accountable
Assuring privacy and security
Because of these principles, Microsoft decides to reject some projects. This is to preserve their integrity. In some cases, the large international company requires a declaration from their AI users to allow them to download the software.
– We cannot control everything and everyone, but by setting clear ethical considerations for usage, we express our opinion and make the user aware of the purpose of the algorithm, says Jahren.
– AI brings new opportunities to mankind
The last decade, AI has become more public, but we are still in the starting pit. The Director Azure Cloud & AI at Microsoft Norway is excited to be a part of the era.
– This new technology brings new opportunities to mankind. The algorithms have become so sophisticated and detailed that they solve issues just as good or even better than humans. Humanity is experiencing a boost by AI enabled applications that I find exciting, says Jon Jahren.
And because of AI being a commonplace, he knows Microsoft will face new and more challenging tasks.
AI is surrounding us and affecting our everyday life, hence there exists a wide range of expectations regarding AI and functionality in the society. The bank customers expect AI solutions to make their bank relation easier and more secure. At home you deal with AI software in your robotic vacuum cleaner and refrigerator.
– There is an anticipation regarding both the functionality of our products and that we offer products solving the tasks that the consumers or businesses need to be solved. This must be done without causing a major competence gap in the market, so it is accessible for a wide audience of developers and users. The days when AI was related only to PhDs in white overcoats are gone, says Jon Jahren.
