"We have to learn to think differently"

A new name, a new chapter: with "Kuble - House of Intelligence", the company is consistently focusing on the future of AI. In this interview, Gustavo Salami and Roger Oberholzer explain why now is the right time for this change - and how Kuble is making companies fit for the age of intelligence.

m&k: The Metaverse Academy was founded 3 years ago and now operates under the name "Kuble - House of Intelligence" as the Kuble Academy. How did this step come about?

Roger Oberholzer: The need for further training for managers and specialists in the field of artificial intelligence is enormous. As early as 2023, we started offering new AI training courses in addition to further training in the areas of virtual reality and Web3. Over 600 participants have now taken part in public and individual training courses. Last year, we launched the "AI Superpowers" program. As the program developed, the descriptive name no longer matched the focus.

Gustavo Salami: What's more, education is necessary at every stage of work in this new field. The transfer of knowledge also accompanies every step in the AI projects with our customers. The cycle of learning, applying, implementing and continuing to learn is becoming ever faster. A project kick-off includes a teaching session, and training is required to use new tools.

There are now a large number of different offers and providers that teach AI. What makes the Kuble ACADEMY different?

Roger Oberholzer: This is best explained by our participants, who have already taken part in several training courses at different locations. In addition to practical training, they see the greatest benefit in orientation. Where do we stand with AI? Where is the journey going? Which developments are relevant? These are often "eye-openers" and enable learners to grow with AI.

AI is often only communicated at the level of tools. But there are thousands of them and they are constantly changing. Finding your way around the hamster wheel of news is difficult, even for those who deal with it all day long.

A new way of thinking often emerges in the training sessions, an "AI first" mentality. It's about your own transformation and that of the team. This requires a new mindset, a change in behavior AND the ability to deal with AI tools. Anyone who is only concerned with which tool is best for this application right now is underestimating the scope of the change.

Gustavo Salami: We attach great importance to practical relevance. As we develop AI tools ourselves, use them in everyday life and are constantly experimenting with new models and functions, we know both the practical possibilities and the hurdles. We prefer to focus on live demos and actively use the tools with the learners rather than simply imparting knowledge.

You also notice the creative freedom of Kuble LAB. Our experiments often begin in the field of art or music. This results in experience for further training and new solutions. By developing an AI radio, for example, I gained an enormous amount of practical experience in the automation of AI workflows early on.

The digital agency Kuble has been around since 2009. How did the path of recent years lead to the new positioning as "Kuble - House of Intelligence"? Is this the result of the current AI trend or is there more to it than that?

Gustavo Salami: We already used AI in marketing projects in 2017, e.g. in facial recognition or for a simple chatbot. We have been using algorithms to optimize campaigns since the advent of social media.

It is in Kuble's DNA to quickly translate new technologies into applicable solutions. When we started with social media in 2009, nobody was talking about it.

Roger Oberholzer: When I joined the team two years ago, I was really impressed by the speed and flexibility. The curiosity to learn and the drive to get started immediately and build up expertise is palpable everywhere here. This is particularly helpful when everything is changing so quickly, as it is at the moment.

Kuble welcomes visitors to the website to the age of intelligence. What does that mean?

Roger Oberholzer: In the information age characterized by the internet, it was all about access to information and collecting data. Now we are at the beginning of an era where we can use this data more intelligently - with artificial intelligence combined with human intelligence. AI can recognize patterns, automate processes and support decisions, while humans bring creativity, strategy and ethics to the table.

Companies that miss out on these developments will have problems remaining relevant. Similar to the first wave of digitalization, in which new players emerged that disrupted entire industries and turned them upside down. The difference is that today it won't take 10 or 20 years.

Gustavo Salami: Humans do not have intelligence for themselves. To quote Geoffrey Hinton, the "Grandfather of AI": "We have no experience of what it means to have something more intelligent on our planet than ourselves." The time when we reach Artificial General Intelligence, i.e. AI that is equally intelligent or more intelligent than all humans, is no longer some undefined distance away.
This is why education and practical use is so important. It is indisputably the most important ingredient for preparing and being fit for the transformation. This applies to both the employability of employees and the competitiveness of companies.

Although many companies are experimenting and investing, there is also dissatisfaction with the quality and the expected productivity gains are lacking.

Gustavo Salami: First of all, it is important to know exactly what AI can currently be used productively for and where it cannot yet be used. It is just as wrong to have too high expectations as it is to wait and want to jump on the bandwagon at some point later.

The gap between those who have intelligently integrated AI into their way of thinking and working and those who have not even started is rapidly widening.

What is relevant is not the current status quo, but the question of where the journey is going and, above all, how quickly? This requires an agile approach. That's why we start every task with our customers with an exploration phase.

Roger Oberholzer: A recent survey of SMEs in Geneva revealed that 73 % of companies are benefiting from productivity gains and 43% from an increase in quality. However, many companies are still stuck in pilot projects without a clear roadmap and a focus on the most costly core processes that offer the most potential.

AI projects are often driven forward in isolation by individual teams or people without management having defined a structured and agile approach. In addition, there is often a lack of clear KPIs for measuring success, meaning that the specific added value is not always visible.

Companies that manage AI holistically, both bottom-up and top-down, achieve demonstrable efficiency gains - an approach that more companies should pursue in order to exploit the potential. Now is still a good time to take action - in my view, procrastination is not an option.

Switzerland has often demonstrated its innovative strength and is well placed to emerge from this transformation as a winner. But this is not a sure-fire success - it requires commitment and the courage to change. We are initiating and supporting this change.