Die Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) mit ihren untergeordneten Forschungsgebieten wie maschinelles Lernen (ML), Spracherkennung oder Robotik ist in aller Munde. Die Leistungsfähigkeit und Stabilität von Anwendungen, die im weiteren Sinne KI zur Aufgabenbearbeitung einsetzen, sind gestiegen und durchdringen die Gesellschaft immer mehr. Weltweit wird die KI als eine Schlüsseltechnologie wahrgenommen, die in den nächsten Jahren weiter an Bedeutung gewinnt (Bitkom, DFKI 2017). So zielt auch die Ausschreibung des Bundesministeriums für Wirtschaft und Energie von 02/2019 darauf ab, KI als Schrittmachertechnologie für „[…] volkswirtschaftlich relevante Ökosysteme“ zu fördern (BMWi 2019). Mit der zunehmenden Ausstattung der Produktionsmittel mit Sensoren und der gleichzeitig steigenden Vernetzung dieser, steigt auch die Menge verfügbarer Daten, die für die Generierung von Wissen genutzt werden können (Fraunhofer 2018). Davon profitiert besonders das ML als Teilgebiet der KI. So unterschiedlich die gewonnenen Daten sind, so unterschiedlich sind die Aufgaben, die innerhalb des Maschinenbaus mit diesen bewältigt werden können. Ziele, die mit dem Einsatz von ML verbunden werden, sind beispielsweise selbst optimierende Produktionssysteme oder die bedarfsgerechte Instandhaltung von Anlagen auf Grund einer möglichst genauen Prognose des Ausfallzeitpunktes der Komponenten. Ebenso wie jede andere Technologie bedarf der Einsatz von ML Ressourcen, die in den Unternehmen nur begrenzt vorhanden sind. Die Entscheidung für oder gegen einen Einsatz von ML in Maschinenbauprodukten ist derzeit ganz klar eine strategische und bedingt die Einbeziehung verschiedener Fachbereiche bis hin zum Management des Unternehmens (Saltz et al. 2017). Daher wird ein strategisches Diskussions- und Entscheidungswerkzeug benötigt, welches ein Projekt aus technologischer und wirtschaftlicher Sicht darstellen und fachübergreifend genutzt werden kann sowie ein strukturiertes Vorgehen ermöglicht. Die Autoren schlagen zur Entscheidungsfindung die Nutzung des hier eingeführten Analysekompetenz-Marktpriorität-Portfolios vor, welches speziell auf die Fragestellung des ML Einsatzes im Maschinenbau zugeschnitten ist. Es werden Bewertungstabellen vorgestellt und deren Nutzung erläutert, welche sich an den zu bearbeitenden Prozessschritten für komplexe Datenanalysen (Shearer 2000, Klement et al. 2018) orientiert. Die Ableitung von Normstrategien wird anhand der finalen Darstellung des Portfolios diskutiert. [... aus der Einleitung]

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to significant changes in the business environment and academic discussions. AI boosts productivity and positively impacts the competitive advantage of organisations. However, it also has its dark sides, such as prejudice, non-transparent processes, and people's fears that AI will be able to take their jobs in the future. The successful implementation of AI in organisations depends on several factors, including geopolitical, cultural, ecosystem, organisational, and individual factors. Geopolitical context and cultural differences can play an important role in the adoption and implementation of AI in organisations. This study examines the influence of geopolitical and cultural contexts on the decision-making process for the adoption and implementation of AI by managers from the fashion retail industry in Sweden and India. Given the extensive scope of these contexts, the authors narrowed their focus on specific factors. In the cultural context, the authors consider selected dimensions of the GLOBE project that reflect national culture. Within the Geopolitical context, particular attention is given to aspects such as data access and control, as well as the regulatory framework. In the course of this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and additional secondary data was studied. The study showed that the specifics of data access and control, as well as governmental legislative regulation, directly affect the decision-making process regarding the adoption and implementation of AI. As for the cultural context, here the degree of influence is heterogeneous, and decision-making on the implementation of AI is not always subject to the direct influence of the national cultural factors.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds transformative potential for many fields including the finance sector. However, identifying suitable tasks for artificial intelligence implementation remains a challenge. This study proposes the artificial intelligence readiness task assessment tool, empowering finance professionals to assess task suitability for AI implementation from a bottom-up perspective. Artificial intelligence adoption often encounters barriers such as costs, compatibility, and skill gaps. The proposed tool addresses these challenges by allowing finance professionals to gauge artificial intelligence suitability for specific tasks without requiring extensive AI knowledge. The tool follows a design science research approach, ensuring it is user-friendly and effectively addresses real world challenges. The proposed tool is comprised of three sections: task framing, task assessment, and results interpretation. Unlike existing methodologies that focus on organization wide artificial intelligence readiness, the proposed tool centers on task specific readiness. This innovative approach provides practical guidance for finance professionals seeking to leverage artificial intelligence and helps organizations realize the potential of AI more effectively.

Denna studie besvarar vilka möjligheter och hinder som i dagsläget finns för teknologin generativ design (GD) inom företag. Frågeställningen besvarades genom en insamling av befintlig kunskap i form av en litteraturstudie som senare kombinerades med dagens kunskap i branschen genom kvalitativa intervjuer, semi-strukturerade intervjuer, med personer som kommit i kontakt med teknologin. GD:s utveckling på senare år har präglats av framgångar, och kommer oundvikligen att påverka flertalet industrier i framtiden. Det som dock visade sig är att den nuvarande kunskapsnivån är för låg hos företagen vilket gör att de inte kan använda tekniken till sin fulla potential. Detta kombinerat med systemets komplexa lösningar, vars strukturer kräver dyra tillverkningsmetoder, leder ofta till att företag anser att systemet inte är nödvändiga att implementera i dagsläget. För tillfället utnyttjar företag systemen främst för konceptframtagning då de arbetar med banbrytande design. Detta gör även att vissa industrier har större användning av teknologin än andra. Däremot finns en optimism om att teknologin kommer att sprida sig till andra industrier i framtiden. / This study answers what opportunities and obstacles currently exist for the technology generative design (GD) in companies. The question was answered through a collection of existing knowledge in the form of a literature study which was later combined with today's knowledge in the industry through qualitative interviews, semi-structured interviews, with people who have come into contact with the technology. GD's development in recent years has been marked by success, and will inevitably affect most industries in the future. What turned out, however, is that the current level of knowledge is too low at the companies, which means that they cannot use the technology to its full potential. This, combined with the system's complex solutions, whose structures require expensive manufacturing methods, often leads companies to consider that the system is not necessary to implement at the present time. At the moment, companies use the systems primarily for concept development when they work with ground-breaking designs. This also means that some industries have greater use of the technology than others. However, there is optimism that the technology will spread to other industries in the future.

Cloud services are one of the fast expanding fields of today. Companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and IBM offer these cloud services in various forms. As this field progresses, the natural question occurs ”What can you do with the technology today?”. The technology offers scalability for hardware usage and user demands, that is attractive to developers and companies. This thesis tries to examine the applicability of cloud services, by combining it with the question: ”Is it possible to make an automated thesis examiner?” By narrowing down the services to IBM Watson web services, this thesis main question reads ”Is it possible to make an automated thesis examiner using IBM Watson?”. Hence the goal of this thesis was to create an automated thesis examiner. The project used a modified version of Bunge’s technological research method. Where amongst the first steps, a definition of an software thesis examiner for student theses was created. Then an empirical study of the Watson services, that seemed relevant from the literature study, proceeded. These empirical studies allowed a deeper understanding about the services’ practices and boundaries. From these implications and the definition of a software thesis examiner for student theses, an idea of how to build and implement an automated thesis examiner was created. Most of IBM Watson’s services were thoroughly evaluated, except for the service Machine Learning, that should have been studied further if the time resources would not have been depleted. This project found the Watson web services useful in many cases but did not find a service that was well suited for thesis examination. Although the goal was not reached, this thesis researched the Watson web services and can be used to improve understanding of its applicability, and for future implementations that face the provided definition. / Molntjänster är ett av de områden som utvecklas snabbast idag. Företag såsom Amazon, Google, Microsoft och IBM tillhandahåller dessa tjänster i flera former. Allteftersom utvecklingen tar fart, uppstår den naturliga frågan ”Vad kan man göra med den här tekniken idag?”. Tekniken erbjuder en skalbarhet mot använd hårdvara och antalet användare, som är attraktiv för utvecklare och företag. Det här examensarbetet försöker svara på hur molntjänster kan användas genom att kombinera det med frågan ”Är det möjligt att skapa en automatiserad examensarbetesrapportsgranskare?”. Genom att avgränsa undersökningen till IBM Watson molntjänster försöker arbetet huvudsakligen svara på huvudfrågan ”Är det möjligt att skapa en automatiserad examensarbetesrapportsgranskare med Watson molntjänster?”. Därmed var målet med arbetet att skapa en automatiserad examensarbetesrapportsgranskare. Projektet följde en modifierad version av Bunge’s teknologiska undersökningsmetod, där det första steget var att skapa en definition för en mjukvaruexamensarbetesrapportsgranskare följt av en utredning av de Watson molntjänster som ansågs relevanta från litteratur studien. Dessa undersöktes sedan vidare i empirisk studie. Genom de empiriska studierna skapades förståelse för tjänsternas tillämpligheter och begränsningar, för att kunna kartlägga hur de kan användas i en automatiserad examensarbetsrapportsgranskare. De flesta tjänster behandlades grundligt, förutom Machine Learning, som skulle behövt vidare undersökning om inte tidsresurserna tog slut. Projektet visar på att Watson molntjänster är användbara men inte perfekt anpassade för att granska examensarbetesrapporter. Även om inte målet uppnåddes, undersöktes Watson molntjänster, vilket kan ge förståelse för deras användbarhet och framtida implementationer för att möta den skapade definitionen.

M. Tech. (Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / This research was initiated because of a global increase in congestion on roads and the consequent increase in the rate of fatalities on both national and international roads. Annually, 1.3 million people are killed on the roads globally, and millions are injured. It was estimated that 2.4 million people will be killed in road traffic accidents annually by 2030, and in South Africa, over 14 000 deaths were reported in 2016. A study undertaken by the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS), established in 1947 to conduct research and address growing highway safety issues, found that motorcar accidents, on average, cost the United States $300 billion per annum. In the same vain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) asserted in their 2013 Global Status Safety Report on Road Safety that by 2020, traffic accidents would become the third leading cause of death globally. In this organisation’s 2015 report, South Africa was listed as having one of the highest road fatality rates in the world, averaging 27 out of 100 000 people. Cognisance of these statistics that describe wanton loss of life and serious economic implications, among other reasons, led to the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs), such as Google and Uber’s driverless taxis and Tesla’s autonomous vehicle. Companies have invested in self-driving prototypes, and they bolster this investment with continuous research to rectify imperfections in the technologies and to enable the implementation of AVs on conventional roads. This research aimed to address issues surrounding the systems communication concept, and focused on a novel method of the routing facet of AVs by exploring the mechanisms of the virtual system of packet switching and by applying these same principles to route autonomous vehicles. This implies that automated vehicles depart from a source address and arrive at a pre-determined destination address in a manner analogous to packet switching technology in computer networking, where a data packet is allotted a source and destination address as it traverses the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model for open system interconnection prior to dissemination through the network. This research aimed to develop an IoT model that reduces road congestion by means of a cost effective and reliable method of routing AVs and lessen dependency on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication with their heavy and costly sensor equipment and GPS, all of which under certain conditions malfunction. At the same time, as safety remains the foremost concern, the concept aimed to reduce the human factor to a considerable degree. The researcher demonstrated this by designing a computer-simulated Internet of Things (IoT) model of the concept. Experimental research in the form of a computer simulation was adopted as the most appropriate research approach. A prototype was developed containing the algorithms that simulated the theoretical model of IoT vehicular technology. The merits of the constructed prototype were analysed and discussed, and the results obtained from the implementation exercise were shared. Analysis was conducted to verify arguments on assumptions to clarify the theory, and the outcome of the research (an IoT model encompassing vehicular wireless technologies) shows how the basic concept of packet switching can be assimilated as an effective mechanism to route large-scale autonomous vehicles within the IoT milieu, culminating in an effective commuter operating system. Controlled routing will invariably save the traveller time, provide independence to those who cannot drive, and decrease the greenhouse effect, whilst the packet switching characteristic offers greater overall security. In addition, the implications of this research will require a workforce to supplement new growth opportunities.

Background. Game developers are continuously searching for new ways of populating their vast game worlds with competent and engaging Non-Player Characters (NPCs), and researchers believe Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) might be the solution for emergent behavior. Consequently, fusing NPCs with DRL practices has surged in recent years, however, proposed solutions rarely outperform traditional script-based NPCs. Objectives. This thesis explores a novel method of developing an adversarial DRL NPC by combining Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms. Our goal is to produce an agent that surpasses its script-based opponents by first mimicking their actions. Methods. The experiment commences with Imitation Learning (IL) before proceeding with supplementary DRL training where the agent is expected to improve its strategies. Lastly, we make all agents participate in 100-deathmatch tournaments to statistically evaluate and differentiate their deathmatch performances. Results. Statistical tests reveal that the agents reliably differ from one another and that our learning agent performed poorly in comparison to its script-based opponents. Conclusions. Based on our computed statistics, we can conclude that our solution was unsuccessful in developing a talented hostile DRL agent as it was unable to convey any form of proficiency in deathmatches. No further improvements could be applied to our ML agent due to the time constraints. However, we believe our outcome can be used as a stepping-stone for future experiments within this branch of research.

Abstract  Date: 2023-05-30 Level: Master thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr  Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University  Authors: Ramak Amyari Khamneh (84/01/29), Aymen Safi (00/03/27) Title: Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Supply Chain Resilience: A Qualitative Study Comparing Scania and Volvo in the Construction Equipment Industry Supervisor: Emre Yildiz Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Supply Chain Resilience, Construction Equipment Industry, Disruptions, Agility, Redundancy Research question: How do Scania and Volvo interpret and implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance supply chain resilience and mitigate disruptions in the construction equipment industry? Purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate how Scania and Volvo interpret and implement AI technologies to enhance supply chain resilience and mitigate disruptions in the construction equipment industry. Method: Qualitative Conclusion: The conclusion of the master thesis is that Scania and Volvo have successfully implemented AI technologies to enhance supply chain resilience in the construction equipment industry, despite challenges, and see AI as a critical component for future supply chain strategies.

Date: 2023-05-30 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society & Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Belinda Sundqvist         Jerar Ohanisian                 Shaafi Osman Ali                        00/09/08                        97/09/03                               99/02/05 Title: Utilization & impact of AI in digital marketing Examinator: Magnus Linderström  Supervisor: Stylianos Papaioannou Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI), Digital marketing, Search engine optimization (SEO), Customer relationship management (CRM), Gathered data, Ethics, Effectiveness, Regulation Research question: How do businesses utilize AI and how does it impact digital marketing? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how organizations use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in their digital marketing, and how this affects their efforts to communicate digitally. This in conjunction with any repercussions regarding ethical and legal concerns, that may occur through the utilization of AI. Method: Qualitative method  Conclusion: AI tools, especially text generators like ChatGPT, are being widely used in digital marketing, especially by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Larger businesses consider ethical and legal aspects like GDPR in AI implementation. The utilization and choice of AI tools depend on a business's needs and resources. While AI helps improve margins, reduce costs, and enhance quality, it also includes challenges like potential skill gaps. Business size matters: large businesses can invest more but struggle with implementation, whereas SMEs adapt quicker and can achieve growth through AI. The study confirms AI's profitability in business, specifically in digital marketing.

ChatGPT is a newly launched Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered model with several functions, providing the user with human-like responses. Recently, ChatGPT have gain a lot of recognition and popularity. The aim of this research is to examine the perceptions of ChatGPT from a Swedish professional service workers (PSW) perspective. More precisely, the study explores how the usage of ChatGPT in regard to supporting various work tasks is perceived. Additionally, the aim is to examine what factors could influence the perceptions regarding the model, and how the information provided is viewed by PSWs. The research uses a qualitative approach, and the data is collected through semi-structured interviews. Moreover, the study uses a thematic analysis for the analysis of data gathered. Additionally, the study uses Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to explore the factors influencing PSWs perception of ChatGPT. The findings show that PSWs believed that ChatGPT could be used to support some of their work tasks. The model was seen as easy to use and had its benefits, such as perceived increased productivity and efficiency. However, the findings also indicate that there are several challenges that could influence the overall usage of ChatGPT. Overall, both performance expectancy and effort expectancy showed to be important factors of the evaluation of ChatGPT usage in this study. Moreover, the findings indicate that the functions and information provided by ChatGPT could influence the perceptions. For example, lack of references, lack of human touch, and security issues were found to influence the interviewed PSWs. Additionally, the study concludes that there are several perceived areas of improvements regarding ChatGPT. This research contributes with knowledge about ChatGPT from a PSWs perspective and how it could be used for work related tasks.