STAY INTEGRATED
Navigating the AI frontier at Realize Live
Rene Pronovost's insights on staying ahead
By Chad Ghalamzan
Realize LIVE, the annual user event by Siemens Digital Industries Software, is an exceptional hub for industry experts and enthusiasts worldwide. This unique gathering offers a platform for attendees to share and collaborate on innovative ideas, explore cutting-edge technologies, and network with like-minded professionals. As we look forward to Realize LIVE 2024, expectations are high for another year of groundbreaking discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) look set to be hot topics for a second year. In 2023, the event took place just a few months after the first public release of OpenAI's ChatGPT platform, becoming an important milestone for AI/ML. Their Generative Pre-Transformer technology, which enabled natural language interaction, combined with the previous framework of AI technology, represented a monumental shift in functionality and interest.
AI capabilities surpassing human capacity is not a novel occurrence – it's happened before. However, there was a profound difference this time. The question had firmly become not ‘can’, but ‘when will’ machines think for, or out-think us? The impact is ongoing, and the unfolding AI era continues to bring about significant changes fueled by substantial interest and investment.
People, businesses and governments are still grappling with numerous questions and possibilities, attempting to navigate a course of action amid the challenging backdrop of a continually evolving playing field.
Rene Pronovost, the vice president of Services and Operations at Maya HTT, who presented on this topic at Realize Live 2023, has been at the forefront of navigating the changing AI landscape. He shared profound insights on the benefits of attending Realize Live and the pivotal role of AI in driving innovation and growth.
What's the key benefit of attending the event?
Realize LIVE provides a pause moment for attendees to step away from their day-to-day work and explore new perspectives. Unlike hour-long webinars, Realize LIVE offers an immersive experience where attendees can exchange ideas, learn from others, and discover emerging trends. AI-focused discussions and presentations at Realize LIVE offer invaluable insights into the latest technological innovations and their potential applications.
As an attendee, Realize LIVE provides valuable insights into the synergies of different solutions and broadens the digital perspective. It goes beyond day-to-day problem-solving, offering an opportunity to explore diverse ideas and implementations and exchange perspectives with professionals. The event enhances the understanding of what is possible in the digital journey and fosters an environment where attendees discover more efficient ways of working.
What role does Realize LIVE play in your engagement with customers?
Realize LIVE serves as a crucial opportunity to stay connected with our customers, providing a platform to understand their challenges and needs. It's a valuable occasion to gather feedback, network, and gain insights into innovations and services that resonate with our customer-base. The event ensures Maya HTT remains aligned with industry demands and customer expectations.
What discussions did you engage in with your customers last year?
Last year's customer discussions were heavily focused on the substantial impact of cycle time, development, lead times on securing contracts, optimizing production, and enhancing responsiveness to shorter cycles, especially in the context of RFP responses. The emphasis on efficiency gains in processes, particularly with large teams handling repetitive tasks, underscored the need for automation to capture and leverage knowledge within specific workflows. The evolving dynamics of markets, staffing and knowledge prompted companies to show increased interest in documenting and streamlining workflows. Our commitment to automating portions of our customers' workflows aimed to deliver consistent and reliable results, offering reassurance in the effectiveness of their processes.
You presented at Realize LIVE 2023. What was the focus of your talk?
At Realize LIVE 2023, my focus was on exploring the potential of AI, particularly ChatGPT, within Siemens's portfolio. It was just a few months after the launch of the tool. We delved into its capabilities by running tests to determine its knowledge about Simcenter, NX, and custom developments in NX around Teamcenter—the initial presentation aimed to benchmark the out-of-the-box capabilities and understand their relevance for consulting with our customers.
We discussed the concept of augmenting models by providing additional context and documentation and testing the idea of creating a tailored copilot AI assistant. The presentation highlighted the evolving trends in leveraging large language models to develop private knowledge bases and databases, emphasizing the potential for creating a customized AI assistant to enhance engineers', consultants' and customers' access to information, ultimately supporting the successful adoption of Siemens technology.
How do you stay current in the rapidly evolving AI landscape?
Staying current in the AI landscape is a continuous process and requires a strategic approach. It's essential to have a thorough understanding of the latest advancements and their potential applications while also being mindful of the limitations and challenges of these tools.
Staying informed about tools for team efficiency is crucial. The fast-paced evolution of AI technology requires constant attention to stay caught up. Keeping abreast of developments and their readiness for implementation is vital for impacting business positively. Realize LIVE provides an excellent opportunity to stay informed about upcoming tools and innovations.
Will you be attending Realize LIVE 2024, and what are your expectations?
I plan on attending Realize Live 2024 to provide an update on our AI endeavors. I expect to share our continued experiments with ChatGPT and explore new takeaways. The event is an opportunity to showcase our progress and learn from other industry leaders' experiences and insights.
In addition to being an educational experience, Realize LIVE is undeniably a fun event. Whether engaging with colleagues or customers, the event's enjoyable atmosphere breaks down barriers. The more relaxed and fun setting fosters openness, providing an opportunity to connect more personally. Attending Realize LIVE is not just about learning; it's a chance to step away for a few days and enjoy quality time building strong relationships with industry, colleagues and partners.
In November 2023, we celebrated the first anniversary of ChatGPT's launch by exploring Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). We published a series of thought-provoking content that delved into the current and future state of engineering.
We shared insights on cutting-edge ML capabilities, real-world applications, and the interdependent relationship between AI and human innovation. It's not just about adopting technology; it's about comprehending its profound impact on engineering, simulation, and the future.
To revisit the series and explore the latest content on this topic, visit Unleash innovation with AI/ML and Simcenter | Siemens Software