Bosch Drives Forward the Use of AI

Bosch lauded its commitment to the use of AI. In the past five years, the company has filed patent applications for more than 1,000 AI inventions, making it one of the leading applicants for AI patents in Europe.

Recent technological developments in the area of generative AI and what are known as foundation models also offer entirely new opportunities. These models can generate content such as software code, text, images, and music. What makes them especially powerful compared to previous AI models is that they are trained on vast amounts of data. This breadth and volume of information allow foundation models to translate between languages, for example, and to work through tasks in a structured way.

“Technological breakthroughs are opening a whole new chapter in the area of AI,“ says Tanja Rückert, member of the board of management and chief digital officer of Bosch. “This progress will influence almost all areas of society as well as processes in companies. We want to exploit this potential for Bosch - both for our customers and for our associates.“ That is why Bosch currently has AI experts from both research and the divisions looking into the specific applications that these new AI models offer the company.

“In recent years, Bosch has made good progress in the development of AI in its divisions and at its locations worldwide,“ Rückert says. “We are bringing AI into our applications quickly and successfully. We’re making good progress here.“ Before the end of this year, all products and solutions are set to either contain AI or have been developed or manufactured with its help. The company originally set this goal for 2025 but is now on track to achieve it two years early. This is thanks also to more than 300 AI researchers who are currently working on the development of new AI methods.

“We regard artificial intelligence, in combination with product connectivity, as a key technology and a driver of progress in our society. Our primary aim is for AI to benefit people,“ Rückert says. Bosch is focused on industrial AI, in other words, intelligent algorithms combined with domain expertise in transportation, manufacturing, and buildings. The company is applying its own strengths in the manufacturing of complex, physical objects and combining these with its many years of experience in the area of AI. This is in contrast to U.S. and Chinese IT companies, which are using AI primarily to build a model of humans and their behavior.