Cooperation at eye level for the future of artificial intelligence
On Friday, August 16, 2024, the Online Group welcomed Lukas Martinelli, the founder of Reprompt, to our AI Day. His visit marked a further step in our ongoing collaboration, which aims to identify and implement innovations at an early stage – for the benefit of our customers and our joint development.
Partnership with Reprompt: innovation in real time
Our partnership with Reprompt, a dynamic Silicon Valley startup backed by the renowned Y Combinator, has been an integral part of our innovation strategy since the beginning of this year. This collaboration allows us to benefit from the latest developments in the US market while sharing valuable insights from the DACH market. Through this mutual learning, we are jointly sharpening the best offering for our customers by optimally combining global trends and regional characteristics.
Technical session: Driving AI innovations forward together
The AI Day began with an intensive technical session in which our own AI experts discussed the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence with Lukas Martinelli.
This workshop was a platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, in which not only Lukas contributed his expertise from Silicon Valley, but our experienced specialists also provided impetus.
The session will focus on three central topics:
- Democratization of technology: Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly accessible, enabling companies to innovate faster. Together with Lukas, our experts discussed how AI can be integrated into our existing workflows to make them more efficient and optimally prepare our teams for future challenges.
- The importance of LLMs (Large Language Models): These models are fundamentally changing the way software is developed and require new skills in the workforce. Our specialists brought in their own experience of working with LLMs and discussed with Lukas which skills will be crucial in the coming years to stay at the forefront of AI-powered development.
- Rapid prototyping: The use of AI makes rapid iterations and prototyping easier than ever. Our experts showed how we are already optimizing prototyping methods, and together with Lukas, we discussed approaches to fully exploit this potential while optimally meeting our customers’ expectations.
This workshop highlighted the synergy that is created when different perspectives and expertise come together. The exchange between our internal experts and Lukas Martinelli led to a deeper understanding of the technological possibilities and helped to develop strategies for the successful integration of AI into our business processes.
Lunch: Networking with Olma bratwurst
After the technical session, we moved on to lunch together outside. In glorious weather, we enjoyed a typical Olma bratwurst from the grill. While most of us traditionally ate the bratwurst plain, some of our Zurich colleagues couldn’t resist enjoying it with mustard – a small faux pas in the St. Gallen tradition! Nevertheless, the conversations were lively and focused not only on AI, but also on personal topics and the future of digital transformation. It was the perfect opportunity to network in a relaxed atmosphere and reflect on what we had learned in the morning.
Stories from Silicon Valley: A look behind the scenes
In the afternoon, we started with an exciting discussion between Ralf Angermann and Lukas Martinelli. The topic: The difference between the work culture in Silicon Valley and Switzerland. While both regions focus on hard work, first-class engineering and innovation, there are significant differences in approach.
Lukas talked about the unique energy in Silicon Valley, where every second person works for companies such as Facebook, Amazon or the next big AI start-up. In the US, the motto is often “sell first, build later”, while in Europe it is often “build first, sell later”. One of the biggest challenges in Switzerland, however, is the lower drive for innovation when it comes to investments. Lukas encourages us to be bold, because with our talent, our in-depth expertise and our proximity to customers, we are ideally positioned to innovate at high speed.
Business session: AI in practice
The final part of the day focused on the practical applications of artificial intelligence. The focus was on the question of how the value of AI can be communicated to our customers in concrete terms, particularly in the areas of sales, marketing and customer service.
One revealing example was the automation of sales processes. For example, AI can be used to handle complex tasks such as answering 160 questions in a tendering process in a short time. This gives the sales team more time to focus on strategically important conversations. AI also opens up new possibilities in the area of customer support. A customer service team that uses AI will save around 30 % more productive. This not only reduces costs and improves work processes, but also increases customer satisfaction.
Conclusion: Continuous progress through partnership-based cooperation
Our AI Day impressively demonstrated the potential of artificial intelligence. The partnership with Reprompt and the intensive exchange between the US and DACH markets gave us the impetus to drive forward the digital transformation in our company. Learning from each other allows us to combine the best of both markets to make the future of work more efficient and intelligent. We are determined to shape this future together and to continuously learn and improve to provide the best solutions for our customers.
