Pioneering generative AI – a strategic guide

Generative AI is not an option in the pursuit of innovation, but a necessity for the survival and success of companies. To stay ahead of the competition, you cannot avoid integrating new technologies into your company's DNA. Generative AI is at the forefront of new opportunities for efficiency. But how can managers use it effectively and sustainably? Find out in this guide.

Unlike “traditional” AI, which analyzes inputs to produce a predetermined output, GenAI can create original results based on learned data patterns. This capability opens up new ways to solve complex problems, automate creative processes, and improve decision-making.

First of all, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the legal framework.

Europe as a pioneer in AI regulation

The EU's AI law introduces the first legal framework for AI, aiming to mitigate risks and establish Europe as a leader in AI regulation. The law bans AI systems that pose a threat to people's safety and rights, underlining the need for compliance and ethical considerations when using AI.

Competitive advantage for Swiss companies

For European companies, the European Commission's regulatory environment opens up opportunities to lead the way in the development of ethical AI. It offers a competitive advantage in global markets that value transparency and security. Swiss companies, potentially not bound by EU regulations, are in a unique position: they have the opportunity to innovate within this framework and develop AI solutions that not only meet but exceed standards and are attractive to both European and global markets.

This evolving regulatory context provides an opportunity to redefine industry standards and focus on ethical, safe, and human-centered AI technologies.

Not everyone trusts the big players with their dependencies

At the forefront of the GenAI game are large companies such as OpenAI, Google, and IBM. Their solutions are fundamentally changing business processes, products, and services. On the one hand, they facilitate access to technology. On the other hand, they also create new dependencies: As a company, you not only have to incur considerable costs for these solutions but also make your data available to these players.

European alternatives are in demand

But the European players know how to help themselves. Companies such as Aleph Alpha in Germany and Mistral AI in France are already offering alternative LLMs (Large Language Models) based on European values. At the same time, companies such as Swisscom, the largest telecommunications company in Switzerland, and ParTec, a German-based supercomputer and quantum computer company, are working on alternative infrastructures. Together with AI developer NVIDIA, they have set themselves the goal of providing secure and trustworthy GenAI solutions.

After all, many companies don’t want to leave their data to the big players in the cloud but want to build up their own expertise. Especially when it comes to deep integration into processes, there are interesting alternatives in Europe to make GenAI business models future-proof and compliant.

The bridge between man and machine

GenAI is not limited to text or image generation. Audio, video, sensory data, or even molecular sequences, robot movements, and 3D models can also be generated. Multimodal AI ecosystems can process several complex data types simultaneously and produce impressive results. They interpret the world in a human-like way, creating a bridge between man and machine.

Examples of AI ecosystems include devices such as the Apple Vision Pro or the Humane AI Pin, which create natural interaction possibilities with the digital plane. Or autonomous bots such as Devin, the AI software engineer who can program entire applications independently.

GenAI strategy via full integration

Companies that use GenAI correctly will soon have tools that continue to develop themselves. Devin will certainly not be the only AI software engineer. Creating new tools that also bring real added value will become child's play. Tools alone will no longer be enough to stand out from the competition. Instead, how companies use the new technology and manage to fully integrate it into their DNA will be crucial.

What matters:

Start your GenAI strategy by considering these 3 points. It doesn't have to be a 200-page strategy paper. Start with the innovations that you can implement immediately. Here are my 5 tips for inspiration.

Buy, develop, or cooperate?

The decision to buy GenAI solutions, develop them yourself, or work with partners depends on your resources, your expertise within the company, and your goals.

Buying is the quickest to implement and can therefore also be the most cost-effective option. In-house development gives you full control and customization options. When working in partnership, you use shared knowledge and resources, which promotes innovation and reduces risk. As you can see, all 3 options have their advantages.

My recommendation: Opt for your own solution, either together with other companies or tailored specifically for you by third parties. This will allow you to differentiate yourself better and gain a clear competitive advantage. In any case, you should approach the topic strategically.

You can also read our article on where AI makes sense for companies.

Which tasks can GenAI replace?

When selecting the tasks you want GenAI to perform, pay attention to repeatability and complexity. Routine tasks that require cognitive skills are best suited for automation, such as data entry or certain accounting tasks. 

Repetitive tasks of a physical nature can also be automated well if the environment is predictable, such as the assembly of individual parts in an industry.

Tasks that require creativity, decision-making, and specialist knowledge, on the other hand, are more difficult for GenAI to perform. Human intuition is simply difficult to replace. Nevertheless, GenAI can be supportive here. Find out more about this in our article on emotional intelligence and AI.

Think carefully about which processes you can automate in your company. This may not only make you more efficient but also improve the customer experience and create new sources of revenue. The possibilities of GenAI are manifold. Here are some examples of industries in which GenAI has particular potential:

Rethinking GenAI together 

If we rethink our strategies and create a solid foundation for success, we now have enormous potential to further develop our organizations and tap into new niches. The EU regulatory framework presents additional opportunities and is a strong lever to catch up globally and position ourselves at the top of the ethical GenAI game. Pioneers know: Especially in economically weak times, organizations need to join forces and invest together to break new ground.

As an agile development powerhouse and external innovation lab specializing in emerging technologies, we are perfectly positioned to accompany organizations on this journey. We have held group-wide management workshops and executive roundtables for cross-company collaboration, developed groundbreaking platform concepts and outstanding digital products and ventures with AI and GenAI, helped implement high-value use cases, created individual GPTs, and trained employees in techniques such as prompting and grounding. 

You have decided to enter GenAI, but want to break new ground and need an independent and hands-on implementation partner to moderate and facilitate this process? Let's talk!