Home » Economy » How will TÜV test artificial intelligence, Mr. Schlesinger?

Dirk Schlesinger has a doctorate in mathematics, aerospace engineer, worked for Cisco and BCG and is now Chief Digital Officer of TÜV Süd AG. He is also concerned with how the company will be able to certify artificial intelligence in the future in addition to its already established test fields. Behind this is the desire of the EU Commission and many European governments to make this key technology more transparent, to regulate it and, for example, to classify it into different risk categories. But what could such a TÜV seal for AI look like? What is the difference between software and auto?

Macy's is testing a mobile tool using artificial intelligence that lets shoppers get answers customized to the store they're in -- such as where a particular brand is located or what's in stock -- that they would normally ask a sales associate face-to-face. The tool, which the nation's largest department store chain calls a "mobile companion," can be accessed for now through a browser and will accept questions in 10 U.S. locations about products, services and facilities. It uses natural language and offers feedback in seconds. It's developed by IBM Watson, the Jeopardy-winning "cognitive computing" service and is designed to keep learning more about the store's customers. That's a key element as Macy's seeks to spur sluggish sales, make being at the store more enjoyable and distinguish itself from online portals and specialty retailers.

Now, the video game has a scientific connection. Microsoft has made Project Malmo available for programmers on GitHub via an open-source license. This platform uses the world of Minecraft to test advancements in artificial intelligence research. Before this move, the system was only used in private viewing by computer scientists. "We're trying to put out the tools that will allow people to make progress on those really, really hard research questions," Katja Hofmann said, the leader of Project Malmo and a researcher in Microsoft's research lab in Cambridge, UK.