AI (AI)

AI, or Artificial Intelligence (AI) in German, refers to the ability of machines and computer systems to exhibit human-like intelligence. This means they can learn, solve problems, recognize patterns, make decisions, and understand or generate language. AI enables computers to perform tasks that would normally require human thought.

History

The idea of Artificial Intelligence dates back a long way, but its scientific foundation was laid in the 20th century. The British mathematician Alan Turing laid an important cornerstone with his theory of the Turing machine in the 1930s, showing how cognitive processes could be represented by algorithms.

However, the actual birth of Artificial Intelligence as an independent field of research is considered to be the Dartmouth Conference in the summer of 1956. Leading scientists such as John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon gathered there. At this conference, John McCarthy officially proposed the term "Artificial Intelligence." So, there wasn't "one inventor" of AI; rather, it developed from the ideas and collaboration of many pioneers.

Characteristics

• Learning Ability: AI systems can learn from data and improve their performance over time without needing to be explicitly reprogrammed.
• Pattern Recognition: They are capable of identifying complex patterns in large datasets, which is useful for analysis and forecasting.
• Problem Solving: AI can draw logical conclusions and develop strategies to achieve specific goals or overcome challenges.
• Automation: AI automates repetitive or complex tasks, increasing efficiency in many business areas.
• Language Processing: An important characteristic is the ability to understand human language (Natural Language Understanding) and generate it (Natural Language Generation).

Example

Imagine a sales representative in a company wants to quickly create a summary of recent customer interactions and an analysis of potential sales opportunities to prepare for an important meeting. This is where an AI-based solution like Microsoft Copilot comes into play.

Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant integrated into Microsoft 365 applications (such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and also in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 business applications offered by Aproda). It uses AI to help users with their work. In the example mentioned, the sales representative could instruct Copilot in their CRM system (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales) to summarize all relevant customer data. Copilot would then automatically extract information from emails, meeting notes, and sales data, generating a clear summary and suggestions for next steps. This saves the employee a lot of time and helps them make more informed decisions. Aproda helps companies integrate such Microsoft AI-powered tools like Copilot into their ERP, CRM, and IT solutions to increase productivity and efficiency.