A Visionary Team: The Exciting Synergy of Specialist Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence

What is your job at Audi?

Andreas: I am the Program Manager for Artificial Intelligence in Production and Logistics. Together with various specialist departments, we develop the vision for using AI in our plants, identify relevant use cases, and systematically implement them to create benefits with AI. In addition, my colleague Sebastian Reinisch and I serve as the link between Audi and the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) in Heilbronn.  
The Innovation Park offers great potential for Audi, which is why we have been actively involved as a partner in shaping the development of the IPAI from the very beginning.  

You originally come from a start-up culture. How does a large corporation differ in its approach to projects and working methods?

Andreas: As a young professional, I loved working in a start-up because the tasks were varied and dynamic: One day, you’re working on one project, and the next, you’re already working on another. You are a developer, project manager, and salesperson all at once.  
This versatility has helped me develop professionally and build “all-arounder” skills that benefit me enormously in both everyday life and my work at Audi.
Nevertheless, I am very happy to have made the move to a large, global company like Audi. Here I have the opportunity to contribute my expertise in a targeted manner and work closely with the development teams, specialist departments, and end users.  

What is the impact of your involvement in the IPAI in Heilbronn, in which Audi is a partner?

Andreas: We really are at the heart of technological progress here. The IPAI is a central hub where Audi and its partner companies are directly involved in shaping the latest innovations in artificial intelligence. We use this platform to work on pioneering projects daily. It also serves as a good opportunity to promote an open and practical exchange about AI, to bring in trends and new impulses from outside, and to learn from each other.  

And how exactly does artificial intelligence support your processes at Audi? Can you give us examples that are already in use?

Andreas: In addition to the generally known, process-optimizing capabilities that artificial intelligence now offers us in almost all areas, we have already integrated solutions that are specifically tailored to the requirements at Audi.
In the area of production process monitoring and quality control, we have the first solutions that are either in pilot operation or already in series production.
For example, we use image-processing AI in assembly. The AI analyzes labels that are stuck to each vehicle during assembly. These are, for example, adhesive labels indicating the recommended fuel or where to attach a child seat. A camera records the images for real-time evaluation, while the AI evaluates in the background: Is the label stuck on the right component? Is the position correct? Is the label upside down or damaged? The different content and the changing language on the labels result in a huge number of variants. AI provides employees with enormous support here and helps to save time and effort during production.

AI is developing at an extreme speed. How are you responding to this development?

Andreas: Yes, artificial intelligence is developing at an enormous pace. You can feel this in our collaboration at IPAI, which is characterized by speed and agility, as well as in our work with AI at Audi. This is exactly what motivates my team and me even more to keep up with or even be one step ahead of these developments. We see this speed as an opportunity and motivation.
Our key to this is constant research, further training, and paying close attention to new trends, developments, and technologies. Just like AI itself, we want to improve every day. The rapid progress in this area requires flexibility and agility. It never gets boring, the challenges are exciting, and the results we achieve speak for themselves and are inspiring.  

That sounds like real enthusiasm. How do you convey that?  . How do you convey that?

Andreas: The main way is through communication. We try to use examples to explain not only the possibilities but also the limitations of AI. Through workshops and constant collaboration with technical experts in cross-functional teams, we generate ideas and solutions that are jointly supported and that everyone is motivated to implement.    
This approach promotes creative thinking and creates a deeper understanding of change. At the same time, it strengthens our confidence in ourselves and in the process. This confidence, paired with clear goals, is crucial to implement innovations successfully and sustainably.  

That sounds like a very fulfilling task.

Andreas: Definitely. It’s incredibly fulfilling to work on the implementation of our visions every day – especially when we see that the solutions work, and that we create real added value. I find that extremely rewarding. Of course, it always involves hard work – we are very aware of that in the team. But that’s exactly what’s particularly fulfilling here, because it gives us the opportunity to drive truly pioneering innovation forward.