5 Questions to Claudia Pohlink

In the interview below, we talked to Claudia Pohlink, who is heading the Artificial Intelligence Department of T-Labs, based in Berlin.

1.      Hey, Claudia. Thanks for the opportunity for a short exchange. Could you give us a short insight – what is it about and which topics do you deal with on a daily basis?

Claudia Pohlink: Here at T-Labs Intelligence Group, our daily work is about thinking far into the future. We want to make sure Deutsche Telekom remains the leading telco. For the field of Artificial Intelligence this means we have to identify and leverage the potential of modern technology for automation and improvement.

More concretely, we have three focus areas where we conduct early-stage research projects and execute MVP (minimum viable product) projects:

(1) In Network Automation, we help to facilitate the interplay of networks with 5G capabilities, leveraging the latest advances in ML and AI, striving for robustness and cost efficiency.

2) In Quantum AI, we have the ambition to utilize quantum computing technology to excel machine learning, artificial intelligence and optimization solutions.

3) In Intuitive UI, we develop intelligent human-computer interfaces that use machine learning techniques to seamlessly adapt to the users' most desired experience. In addition to these focus areas, our technology platform AI Foundry helps us to run our research and MVP projects and ultimately transfer technology into the company.

2.      Why do you think AI is topical right now; where do you see significant changes in this matter throughout the last years?

Claudia Pohlink: AI has been very fuzzy in public discourse until recently. Everyone wanted to apply it, but only experts really know more than the buzzwords. This led to a situation where AI was in discussion for all kinds of use cases, including many that work best with far simpler methods. But slowly this perception is shifting and people become more educated on different scenarios, benefits and risks of AI in the business. And even though people are not really consciously aware of it, AI applications are becoming more and more part of our everyday life. Every time we find what we are looking for in Google, follow product recommendation or speak with our phone. That greatly reduces abstract fears of contact with the topic.

On a more technological side, the combined progress in algorithms, big data tools and computational power further drives AI developments at astounding speeds. That means AI is topical right now, but it will remain so for quite a while.

3.      What are the biggest advantages of AI?

Claudia Pohlink: The great advantage of AI is the versatility: when it comes to application scenarios, I firmly believe we have just seen a fraction of what is possible. And those use cases are in most instances not just incremental improvements but have the power to disrupt whole value chains or business models. That can be frightening but being an optimist, I am excited by the potential I see for improvement. Not just in consumer or business use cases, but also and especially for “good cases” in medicine or environmental protection.

However, AI only works if applied correctly. For example, and as with all Analytics, AI needs data meeting certain requirements as input. I see that as an advantage, because it forces you to do your homework properly: you won’t get results, unless you invest first. Some of the key areas to be considered: set clear objectives, guided by customer needs; ensure data quality, integrity, privacy and security; get the right team with sufficient skills and technical capabilities together; and start small with a friendly target group.

4.      If you apply that for your own personal situation – what are some common benefits of artificial intelligence technology?

Claudia Pohlink: As mentioned before, for personal use it’s always a good sign if you use AI without realizing it: you just get the right search results, if product recommendations just match your interests, etc. It makes life easier. However, I believe we should all still at least sometimes actively think about it and be conscious in the choices we make with regards to our personal data. Data transparency and sovereignty for customers are really important rights and we should all handle our data with care.

What I am still waiting are global AI applications that supports making the world a better place. Whether it is the reduction of CO2 emission, fight against cancer or other diseases (esp. the rare ones) or global warming. I really hope at least our kids will save the world by applying ML and utilizing robots. That’s why I am very much involved in educating kids with these technologies.

5.       At Telekom Open Spaces we are all about learning and sharing knowledge. So we ask everybody to share his favorite sources of information. What are your favorite websites, blogs or newsletters you follow?

 Claudia Pohlink: I scan a lot of different sources in order to get a full picture of what’s happening within our company and in the research and business fields outside. In my opinion very good sources to start your personal information network are LinkedIn and Twitter. If you get active, follow a few people and post some of your insights once in a while, the news stream will become pretty relevant (again, AI at work in the background). Then there are some standard sources like the Heise newsletter, and of course connecting via relevant conferences and industry groups. Again, building your own network will yield the most relevant results.

Thanks Claudia, for explaining us, how Artificial Intelligence is handled at T-Labs; and for providing us with some useful, new information resources.

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