PEX Network’s weekly news bulletin rounds up the latest from the process community including operational excellence, digital transformation, business process management (BPM), process mining, artificial intelligence (AI) and much more.
This week includes:
- White House endorses open-source AI
- European Union Artificial Intelligence Act takes effect
- CrowdStrike sued over global IT outage
- Boeing tech enhances Ryanair’s digital operations
- Monzo invests in digital transformation with SAP, Google Cloud partnerships
- Women in BPM series launches on YouTube
- Britvic drives digital transformation through manufacturing innovation
- GEMA appoints Ralph Kink as head of digital transformation
White House endorses open-source AI
The US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) outlined its support for open-source and open models to promote innovation in AI while emphasizing the need for vigilant risk monitoring. “Dual-use foundation models with widely available model weights (referred to in this report as open foundation models) introduce a wide spectrum of benefits,” the report stated. “They diversify and expand the array of actors, including less resourced actors, that participate in AI research and development.” They decentralize AI market control from a few large AI developers and they enable users to leverage models without sharing data with third parties, increasing confidentiality and data protection, the report continued.
“I was glad to see the White House, by way of a NTIA report, conclude there is no need to restrict open-source AI,” commented Michael Lieberman, co-founder and CTO of Kusari. “The idea of hiding the inner workings of software in order to prevent misuse – so-called “security by obscurity” – flies in the face of decades of real-world software development experience. In fact, the more open a model, the more trust we can place in it.”
While the definition of “open-source AI” is a matter of vigorous debate, it can generally be thought of as a spectrum totally-closed on one end, and everything (including the training data) open on the other, Lieberman said. “The closer we get to the totally-open end, the more we can understand how it works. One of the main concerns with generative AI models right now is understanding the provenance of the data: Does the model have the input necessary to give reasonable output, or will the model tell us to put glue on pizza? A fully-open model is the only way to be sure.”
READ: The guide to AI in operational excellence
European Union Artificial Intelligence Act takes effect
The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) came into effect yesterday (August 1, 2024), following its final approval by the EU Council in May. Now in force, the EU AI Act introduces significant regulations surrounding the development and use of AI through phased implementation and compliance obligations. Companies dealing with AI will be required to meet various commitments in risk management, data governance, information transparency, human oversight and post-market monitoring. Noncompliance can result in severe penalties including fines of up to 35 million euros or 7 percent of a company’s total worldwide annual turnover, depending on which figure is bigger.
“The Act itself is mostly concerned with regulating high-risk systems and foundational models,” commented Curtis Wilson, staff data engineer at the Synopsys Software Integrity Group. “However, many of the requirements already align with data science best practices, such as risk management, testing procedures and thorough documentation. Ensuring that all AI developers adhere to these standards is to everyone’s benefit.”
CrowdStrike sued over global IT outage
Cyber security company CrowdStrike is facing legal action following a global IT outage that caused havoc two weeks ago. The issue, caused by a CrowdStrike update, caused what is commonly referred to as a “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD) loop on Windows. This is a system crash, where the Windows operating system can no longer operate. It affected more than eight million computers worldwide across the airline, banking, healthcare and retail sectors, among others.
Lawyers now claim that CrowdStrike defrauded investors by concealing flaws with its software testing, reported Sky News. The lawsuit, which was filed in Austin, Texas, alleges the firm’s assurances about its technology were materially false and misleading. Meanwhile, leading brands including Delta Air Lines is among others considering legal action.
READ: Global IT outage highlights importance of operational resilience
Boeing tech enhances Ryanair’s digital operations
Airlines Boeing and Ryanair are collaborating to elevate efficiency in digital flight operations. Ryanair will apply Boeing's Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro 5.0 electronic flight bag (EFB) solution across its Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX fleet, underscoring its dedication to continuous improvement and innovation in airline operations, according to a press release.
“We are excited to integrate Boeing’s newest electronic flight bag into our operations,” commented Neal McMahon, chief operations officer of Ryanair. “This advanced tool will optimize our flight operations, minimize disruptions and enhance efficiency across our expanding fleet.”
FliteDeck Pro will provide Ryanair with tailored route information and the latest technology including smart airport maps to optimize taxi routes, reduce fuel consumption and improve ground safety. “This technology enables Ryanair with real-time data and insights, enhancing decision making and flight operations,” said Brad Surak, VP of Boeing Digital Aviation Solutions.
Monzo invests in digital transformation with SAP, Google Cloud partnerships
Digital banking giant Monzo announced new partnerships with SAP and Google Cloud to enhance its digital banking capabilities, streamlining operations and improving customer experiences. Monzo is integrating SAP’s ERP solutions and Google Cloud’s advanced data analytics to help reduce manual work, improve data reconciliation and enhance reporting capabilities.
“Sustained growth requires the right blend of forward-thinking management, cloud-based technology and strategic financial planning,” said Wesley Doyle, head of new business growth markets, UKI at Monzo. “Monzo has all these elements in place and with the speed, flexibility and agility of the cloud, it will be able to accelerate its growth, react quickly to external trends and continue to innovate.”
Google Cloud’s serverless data warehouse BigQuery provides Monzo the data it needs to “effectively make business-critical decisions and analyze the impact of complex incidents when something goes wrong,” commented Suhail Patel, senior staff engineer at Monzo. “For us, this is like having a superpower.”
READ: Digital transformation: 12 surprising things you should know
Women in BPM series launches on YouTube
A new interview series Women in BPM launched on YouTube, showcasing discussions on diversity, management, technology and personal experiences in the BPM field. Hosted by PEX Network contributor Josèphe Blondaut, the series aims to support a more balanced tech industry and amplify female voices as they inspire others to greatness, Blondaut wrote. All nine episodes of Women in BPM are viewable on YouTube, with series one featuring interviews with Sarah Meiners from McCoy & Partners, Sylvia Groenbos from ING Bank, Vassiliki Spentzou from SPIRIT Hellas, Julia Dowding from iMendos, Juliana Johari from PETRONAS and more. Season two of Women in BPM is already in preparation and will be launching soon, Blondaut said.
Britvic drives digital transformation through manufacturing innovation
Soft drinks brand Britvic has invested heavily in modernizing its supply chain to ensure productivity and make it fit to support growing demands, according to Nigel Paine, supply chain director at Britvic.
The company’s digital manufacturing program, run in partnership with manufacturing efficiency software company LineView, has systemically reduced manufacturing losses, demonstrated a clear return on investment and enabled cost-effective production with increased capacity, reported The Manufacturer. The initiative has also empowered the team to identify and implement further improvements, supporting the company’s culture of continuous improvement.
“While the project remains in its early stages, we have already seen an immediate capacity increase and reduced the impact of minor stoppages on our production lines,” Paine said.
GEMA appoints Ralph Kink as head of digital transformation
GEMA, the German society for music authors and publishers, appointed Ralph Kink as its new head of digital transformation, effective September 1, 2024. Kink, who spent 25 years at Microsoft, will be responsible for driving the firm’s technological development as it embarks on with numerous initiatives such as the automation of processes and the development of new digital services, according to a press release.
“The challenges of our time cannot be overcome without our own technological expertise,” said Dr. Tobias Holzmüller, CEO of GEMA. “With Ralph Kink, we are gaining a competent and curious colleague. He will bring additional perspectives and impulses to the organization and support us in achieving our ambitious goals with his extensive experience.”
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