How does artificial intelligence make innovation faster – and how do virtual AI personas help with feedback from the target group? The online exchange of experiences showed in a practical way which quick wins are already possible today.
How can AI support innovation management? What role can AI personas play in this? These were the guiding questions of the online experience exchange “Using AI in innovation – practical example and insight into a virtual persona”.
Andrea Veerkamp-Walz (VDMA Business Advisory) first gave an overview of the results of a preliminary survey of registered participants on the topic of AI and innovation. In response to the question “In which area do you see the greatest need for action in your company?”, the majority cited knowledge management, followed by idea generation and evaluation. The majority of survey participants cited idea generation as a “quick win that could be achieved through AI”, followed by meeting summaries. “Which framework conditions slow down the use of AI the most?” – here, time/capacity and data availability were the most frequent responses. With regard to “How do you effectively integrate the requirements of your target group into the development of new services/products?”, “Formal specification (specifications)” and “Market research/surveys” were mentioned most frequently. 77 percent of respondents stated that they had not yet used personas.
In the subsequent presentation, Barbara Schmohl (ZF Friedrichshafen) showed how AI is already accelerating development processes, systematically analyzing requirements and strategically driving innovation – from the idea to the market-ready product.
Alexander Noack (Fraunhofer Institute IAO) then presented AI-controlled virtual personas: digitized, interactive stakeholder representatives with whom project teams can obtain feedback on ideas, features and priorities at any time via chat – regardless of location and time. The personas are tailored to the individual project.
Together, the two presentations outlined how AI makes innovation faster, more targeted and data-based.
Organizer
The event was organized by ProduktionNRW. ProduktionNRW is the mechanical engineering and production technology cluster in North Rhine-Westphalia and is managed by VDMA NRW. ProduktionNRW serves as a platform to connect, inform, and promote companies, institutions, and networks with one another and throughout the value chain. Significant portions of the services provided by ProduktionNRW are funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.