The ongoing revolution in industrial production - Industry 4.0 - results from a confluence of rapidly developing technologies. These range from a variety of digital technologies (such as 3D printing, the Internet of Things, advanced robotics) and new materials (bio-based and nano-based) to new processes (e.g. data-driven manufacturing, artificial intelligence and synthetic biology). Europe has significant strengths, and in some cases global leadership, in a number of these technologies. This is particularly true for artificial intelligence, digital security and connectivity. The current AI industry has been built around a centralised deployment paradigm where machine learning solutions are delivered as part of cloud-based APIs and software packages deployed on remote servers of AI vendors. The future calls for a paradigm shift moving towards decentralised AI that can be run and trained at the edge on local smart devices in industrial applications. Intelligence on an edge device gives it the ability to process information locally and respond quickly to situations, instead of communicating with a cloud or central server.
One goal and outcome of the project is surely to change the mindset of the public, which is still hesitant and sometimes anxious about new technologies, and to open up the public to the idea and power of possibilities with AI-driven technologies.
With the dawn of artificial intelligence, many new jobs will be created, but some of the traditional ones will disappear and most will be transformed. To address this societal challenge, AI-specific skills need to be trained through education and training, the current curricula in European schools and universities need to be reviewed and updated. AI talents in Europe need to be developed and promoted through the creation of dedicated training programmes: e-skills, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, entrepreneurship and creativity need to be supported. Enormous change is coming to societies, and it is an important task to inspire and fascinate a large part of society about the positive effects of AI: not only about technologies, but also about tangible topics such as health, education and environmental protection.
As with any transformative technology, artificial intelligence may raise new ethical and legal issues, relating to liability or potentially distorted decision-making. New technologies should not mean new values. To help advance ethical guidelines on AI development, it is necessary to bring all stakeholders together in a European AI Alliance. AI4DI will actively support all activities overseen by the Commission, including through guidance on the interpretation of the Product Liability Directive in the light of technological developments, to ensure legal clarity for consumers and producers in the event of defective products.
