Oakmind in Ehingen: Artificial intelligence to combat staff shortages

Steffen Göttle is certain: “AI can be used in every industry.” In some industries, such as agriculture, however, this is a little more complex. The 35-year-old from Ehingen also says that artificial intelligence can be the answer to the shortage of staff in many industries – if you approach it correctly. And he wants to approach it correctly with his newly founded company Oakmind.

Steffen Göttle’s start-up has only been around for two weeks. And yet he already has a whole team of employees working for him – true to his company’s focus, AI bots with different tasks. And new “employees” are constantly joining. Last week, a chatbot. Oaki is his name, based on one of Göttle’s companies.

Employees must be involved

The trained industrial clerk and industrial engineering graduate says that using AI has made him four to five times more efficient. During his studies, he traded on the stock exchange and carried out market analyses using artificial intelligence. But he was already interested in IT and technology as a child, says Steffen Göttle – for example, when he was 13, he installed a water cooler in his PC.

Göttle sees AI as a great opportunity for companies – as long as they take their employees along with them in the transformation. This could be a lesson from digitization, because that is what went wrong there. “The focus was always on the respective tool,” says Göttle. Many employees were frustrated because of this.

That’s why one of his main focuses is training. In fact, it is the focus of his wife Gabriela Göttle. “She comes from a background in education,” says Steffen Göttle. She also came up with the idea for the AI ​​start-up.

Several AI models are in use

Göttle would like to support small and medium-sized companies in the region in particular. Göttle also uses AI to find out in which areas a company can switch to artificial intelligence. In dialogue with the respective company, it analyses how the technology can support work processes.

“I need an AI strategy,” says the entrepreneur. The company needs to clarify what the level of readiness is, whether there are employees who are familiar with the technology and could possibly train others. Weak points also need to be analyzed.

However, there are two other AI models that are intended to support companies. One for visualization is intended to help prepare data in an understandable way. Another AI trains employees in how to use the technology.

AI increases efficiency

“When people think of AI, they immediately think of the Terminator,” says Steffen Göttle. He sees artificial intelligence more as a tool, like a hammer, for example. “I’m not giving up control.” Humans are not replaced by AI. Rather, they provide support and could make work processes easier or even take them over. They always need people to interact.

Even though Göttle admits: “Some jobs may no longer exist in the future,” he says, others will be created. In any case, given the usual strained personnel situation, artificial intelligence is a good way to compensate. “Studies from the USA show that you can be up to 35 percent more effective with AI,” says Göttle.

This workforce could then be used elsewhere. “Office work is a particularly good field,” says Steffen Göttle. “AI can take over repetitive tasks well.” But the technology could also be used elsewhere. Often people just don’t know how to work with it properly.

The correct use of AI must be learned

Many people would simply enter a question and expect the perfect result. “But I can also say to the AI, keep asking me questions until you have all the relevant information,” says Göttle. It also helps to use different AI models – all with different focuses that work together. A team, in other words.

“The limiting factor is your own imagination,” says the 35-year-old, adding that you could be really creative with AI. They are also great for brainstorming and coming up with new ideas, for example.

Intervention is still necessary

However, with any AI it is also important that you can still intervene in the processes and that the algorithms are visible. This is still possible. “It’s just mathematics,” says Göttle. He also emphasizes how important topics such as ethics and data protection are in connection with artificial intelligence.

He can solve data protection issues relatively easily in his start-up. All servers are located in Germany. This means that they are subject to European data protection regulations. He also sees AI companies as having a duty of care when it comes to ethics. They are the ones who have to handle the technology responsibly.

“We have to be realistic,” says Steffen Göttle. “At the moment, it’s just an intelligent database.” But we’re getting better every day. That’s why the 35-year-old is convinced: “If we set it up correctly, we can reach a level of productivity that we weren’t able to achieve before.” And: “AI is like the Internet, just with a cherry on top.”