Cluster partner Microsoft teams up with the company behind this year's 'talking point'

- When a new technology has suddenly become a topic of conversation around the dinner table in a thousand homes, you get chills when you're in the middle of it yourself

ChatGPT has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. The technology is so impressive that many experts are alarmed - but Microsoft's Norwegian team is optimistic.

The famous language assistant is developed by the company OpenAI, with strong support from the giant Microsoft. In January this year, Microsoft announced that through its third billion-dollar investment in OpenAI, it plans to introduce the technology behind ChatGPT across its consumer and enterprise products and introduce new categories of digital experiences.

- "We renewed this partnership because we have a shared ambition to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, and to do this in a responsible way that democratizes artificial intelligence as a new technology platform," comments Jon Jahren, Director Azure Cloud & AI at Microsoft Norway. The company is a member of the Cluster for Applied AI.

Jon Jahren is Director of Azure Cloud & AI in Microsoft Norway. PHOTO: Private

In the long term, OpenAI's artificial intelligence can be built into several of Microsoft's products, such as Word, PowerPoint and Outlook. In addition, Microsoft is in the process of implementing ChatGPT in its search engine Bing, which could seriously challenge Google's position in this area.

Like communicating with a human being

In simple terms, ChatGPT is a language model that makes you feel like you are communicating with a human, not a machine. Jahren believes it has become a "talking point" among both experts and the general public precisely because no other artificial intelligence (AI) model has so far been as good as ChatGPT at understanding and generating text.

- ChatGPT has proven to be a great way to demonstrate the usefulness of such language models to a wide audience. Here, new user groups can immediately increase productivity, acquire new knowledge, or express their creativity," he points out.

On Tuesday, March 14, the latest version of the language model was launched, called GPT-4. This is the most powerful model to date and can solve more difficult tasks with better precision than its predecessor, GPT-3. In addition, GPT-4 produces more user-friendly answers.

Experts call for a pause in development

The performance of the latest version of ChatGPT is simply so impressive that more than 500 of the most influential technology experts in the world have signed a letter of concern to OpenAI and its peers asking them to pause the development of the AI technology until adequate security measures are in place. In this regard, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has confirmed that they have not yet started training GPT-5.

Jon Jahren believes the world has only seen a taste of what is to come through ChatGPT. That's why Microsoft is also concerned that developments in artificial intelligence take place in a responsible way.

- Our strategy in this area has not come overnight. There have been decades of research from Microsoft and across the industry. We believe AI has the potential to solve some of humanity's biggest problems, helping people become more creative and more productive," says Jahren.

He adds:

- We should move forward with hope for innovation and optimism, while holding ourselves accountable to do so in a safe way for all those affected by this.

Artificial intelligence in the future

Although development has been very rapid in recent years and language models such as ChatGPT both amaze and frighten, Microsoft's Norwegian cloud director sees no reason to demonize the situation.

During the AI+ 2023 conference in early May, Jon Jahren (second from left) was a speaker and panelist. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen

- Artificial intelligence has the potential to dramatically improve how people create, work and communicate. "Since Microsoft's founding vision is to help people solve real-world challenges and achieve more, it's only natural that AI will be an important technology for us," he emphasizes.

Jahren admits that both he and his colleagues were taken aback by the breadth of ChatGPT's reach and the engagement the technology has generated.

- When a new technology has suddenly become a topic of conversation around the dinner table in a thousand homes, you get chills when you are in the middle of it yourself. Developments in artificial intelligence have been fairly steady for decades, but we expect a "boost" both in adoption by existing customers and in startup environments like the one Smart Innovation Norway represents. A lot will happen here in the years to come!

See what Jon Jahren had to say about developments in artificial intelligence when he visited AI+ 2023:

The Cluster for Applied AI welcomes mTabs to the cluster!

It is very nice to be able to welcome such an exciting and creative company as mTabs in the Cluster for Applied AI! The company thinks in new ways when it comes to digital surfaces, and has for many years worked with simulations and synthetic data. mTabs AS was established in December 2021 and had its first year in 2022, but the founders have extensive experience both with the services they provide and with collaboration within various ecosystems. We look forward to many great collaborations in the future!
Marianne Bjerkman, Cluster Leader in the Cluster for Applied AI

This summer, the company mTabs became a cluster partner in the Cluster for Applied AI.

Trond-Atle Bokerød is a storyteller, founder and CEO of the company, and tells us more about how mTabs works in a short interview.

What do you do in mTabs and what is your role?

Media, marketing and metaverse are three of the areas mTabs works in.

Media: with a main focus on living storytelling through film

Marketing: How is your digital visibility? Are you reaching your goals and are your potential customers finding you?

Metaverse: The internet of the future is coming, where the internet will be experienced rather than scrolled/browsed. We are creating digital twins and complex simulations that enable communication on a whole new level.

mTabs has a wide range of expertise in media, marketing and metaverse. We also have a unique expertise in technology, which makes us an ideal partner for larger companies that want help with development, digitalization and innovation.

In addition to being storytellers, we at mTabs are pioneers in the development of the metaverse, or the internet of the future. We create complex simulations and digital worlds (digital twins) that enable communication on a whole new level.

As a storyteller, my role is to find the right story for every situation and convey it accurately. Stories are an important part of everything I do, whether it's artificial intelligence training or traditional communication needs. Being a storyteller is also being a problem solver, and I have developed a skill set that helps me in many situations where challenges arise, often with a high degree of innovation.

We create complex simulations and digital worlds (digital twins) that allow for a whole new level of communication
Trond-Atle Bokerød, mTabs

What are your objectives for the future?

In 2023, mTabs will strengthen its position in media, marketing and metaverse. To do this, we are now establishing offices in Iceland and Sweden. Iceland has a strong gaming technology community, which will be useful for us in our work with digital twins and the development of metaverse. Gothenburg in Sweden, on the other hand, is a center for innovation in the Nordic region, making it a natural place for mTabs to establish itself. With branches in Iceland and Sweden, mTabs will be even better positioned to continue to develop and grow in its three focus areas.

Do you have a success story or an exciting project you would like to highlight?

We have two projects that together show the breadth of what we do.

Case 1: Kållandsö:

The Kållandsö project uses a digital twin to explore different stages of destination development. We have created a "game" where entrepreneurs can experiment with different variables and see how they affect each other. The goal of the project is to strengthen competitiveness and drive digital transformation for local SMEs by building a smart and sustainable destination. AI controls the variables and gives the user a new experience every time they play/simulate.

Case 2; Norske Skog Saugbrugs

Norske Skog Saugbrugs wants to make itself more attractive to the labor market and employees and show its presence. The project "Folka på Saugbrugs" shows employees at Saugbrugs and what they do, as well as how the company makes high-quality magazine paper and innovates with new products. The content is collected on a dedicated website and then shared on social media, with specially created content for each channel. Saugbrugs has also invested heavily in film production, creating unique footage of the entire production line using new filming methods.

Our production is template-based, which makes it transferable to other companies. First up is Ny Plast, which is working with Smart Energy to think sustainable and green while escalating their production of plastics. This is a unique opportunity for other companies to follow Ny Plast's example and increase their own production in a sustainable way.

Our templates are managed by AI to optimize your workflow.

Why do you choose to become partners in the Cluster for Applied AI and what is your current or potential place in the AI ecosystem?

As a partner in the Cluster for Applied AI, we want to expand our network and have a meeting point for competence development in AI. We see an increasing use of AI in our own production and daily work, and want to learn more about methods, processes and how other companies are starting to develop and implement AI. By joining a cluster, we can also contribute with our own knowledge and experience, and have the opportunity to share experiences and communicate with other companies on how we can benefit from AI. In this way, we can see ourselves as an active part of the AI ecosystem and help share knowledge and expertise with other companies.

Who: Trond-Atle Bokerød

Company: mTabs AS

Role: Storyteller, CEO, Founder

Linkedin: Trond-Atle | LinkedIn

Cluster for Applied AI welcomes Autin to the cluster

We know that there is a great need for expertise related not only to the implementation and application of AI, but also to the work businesses need to do in advance, and the skills shortage is predicted to increase dramatically in the coming years. Therefore, it is crucial that companies like Autin focus on providing services precisely in this segment, and we are very happy to have them as part of the Cluster for Applied AI!

We had a chat with Lars Formoe, Partner and Engineer at Autin.

What are your goals for the future?
Autin's overall goal is to contribute to the green shift through automation and streamlining of
Norwegian companies. Our desire is to be a driving force for taking artificial intelligence from theory to practice.

Our desire is to be a driving force in taking artificial intelligence from theory to practice.
Lars Formoe, Partner and Engineer, Autin

What do you do at Autin and what is your role?
Autin provides consulting services in the practical use and implementation of artificial intelligence with
regard to the entire process in industry and business. This includes project planning,
data collection, model and system development and further operations.
We specialize in real-time prediction/classification in dynamic systems, with experience
in data-mining, synthetic data, prediction analysis, NLP, computer vision and robotics/drones.

To achieve our goals, networking and collaboration is essential, and here we consider CAAI to
be the best platform for further development and interdisciplinary collaboration
Lars Formoe, Partner and Engineer, Autin

Why do you choose to become partners in the Cluster for Applied AI and what is your current or
potential place in the AI ecosystem?
To achieve our goals, networking and collaboration is essential, and here we consider CAAI to
be the best platform for further development and interdisciplinary collaboration. Autin's role is to convert the potential inherent in stagnant data/data sources into practical application.

Who: Lars Formoe

Company: Autin AS

Role: Partner and engineer

Linkedin: Lars Formoe

Cluster for Applied AI welcomes Amesto NextBridge to the cluster!

We are delighted to have such a forward-thinking and innovative consulting company on board!
Marianne Bjerkman, Cluster Leader in the Cluster for Applied AI

This summer, the consulting company Amesto NextBridge became a cluster partner in the Cluster for Applied AI.

"We are incredibly pleased to have such a forward-thinking and innovative consulting company on board," says Marianne Bjerkman, Cluster Leader in the Cluster for Applied AI. We are particularly impressed with how they work with start-up companies and the breadth of the projects they can show, she adds.

Vincent Aardalsbakke heads the AI and Emerging Technologies department at the company and tells us more about how Amesto Nextbridge works in a short interview.

What do you do at Amesto Nextbridge and what is your role?

Amesto Nextbridge are experts in creating insight and innovation from data. We are a consulting firm that specializes in what is commonly referred to as AI and BI.

My role is to lead the AI and Emerging Technologies department where we have many talented data scientists who can solve a wide range of challenges, both for the largest and smallest organizations.

Our vision is to be the innovator in data-driven sustainability and insights
Vincent Aardalsbakke, Amesto Nextbridge

What are your objectives for the future?

Our vision is to be the innovator in data-driven sustainability and insight. We want to consolidate this position with both the very largest companies in the Nordic region and the very smallest, i.e. start-ups. Start ups are often focused on innovation and new solutions, which often makes for exciting work when we get to be part of the journey. Hopefully we can identify some together with CAAI.

Do you have a success story or an exciting project you would like to highlight?

I can highlight a project we did for the International Red Cross. We used language processing (NLP) to help the organization deal with the increased amount of information that occurred with COVID-19. After evaluating different methods, we ended up using a BERT model to automatically categorize large volumes of free text reports with human-level accuracy. This resulted in a global dashboard where they now have automated data collection with a full overview of global trends and how resources need to be allocated.

Why do you choose to become partners in the Cluster for Applied AI and what is your current or potential place in the AI ecosystem?

We see clear synergies with CAAI and many overlapping interests. Both are interested in improving the application of AI in society, helping startups with new technologies, and increasing cooperation between public and private actors to accelerate development.

Amesto Nextbridge can contribute with heavy data science expertise that will benefit the entire ecosystem. We have a dozen people with PhDs and an environment with broad experience in R&D work, as well as projects with production deployment and benefit realization of AI solutions.

We can't wait!

Who: Vincent Aardalsbakke

Company: Amesto Nextbridge

Role: Head of AI and Emerging Technologies Department

Linkedin: (1) Vincent Aardalsbakke | LinkedIn