Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Morten Goodwin, takes the stage at this year's Innovation Arena. Here he tells us about the train we can't help but hop on.

“There is a lot of talk about innovation in technology companies, but there is just as much development in Norwegian business,” says Morten Goodwin, professor of artificial intelligence (AI) at the University of Agder.

He will be speaking about KI's role in innovation for infrastructure development at this year's Innovation Arena, to be held on 22 October in Kristiansand.

“At a time when innovations are arriving on assembly lines, you have to jump on the train to avoid being run over,” Goodwin said.

Three Criteria for Success in Artificial Intelligence

Goodwin emphasises that we are ultra-radical in Norway.

“The fact that we have both data and computing power available makes it easy for artificial intelligence, and can give Norwegian companies increased competitiveness in an international market.

He defines three criteria for success with KI:

1. High quality data

It is important to store useful and relevant data in a way that is easy to structure and manage. If a lot is written in free text, it is difficult to get an overview and use the data.

2. Massive computing power

Artificial intelligence requires massive computing power. With relatively low power prices, a secure grid and a large share of renewable power, Norway has a great advantage in this area.

3. Talent and competence

In order to exploit the potential of AI, a symbiosis between experts who have knowledge of both industry and technology experts is needed. This, Goodwin believes, is the most difficult criterion to meet.

Once you have the three criteria in place, Goodwin's recommendation is to experiment and create “proof of concepts”.

“This way we can learn about what artificial intelligence does, what we know and don't know, and what we may need to work on more. This is how innovation comes about.

Multiple applications in the construction industry

Within the construction industry, he sees several obvious uses for artificial intelligence.

Drones in the air or cameras under cars can check for problems, and do automatic categorization in relation to maintenance. Based on factors such as road design, traffic, topography and weather data, accident predictors for different areas can also be created and measures initiated. Autonomous vehicles will also occupy the roads in due course.

After the talk, he hopes those at the Innovation Arena realise that KI is much more than Chat GPT, and that it is technology they have to explore and create a strategy on how to exploit.

We are at the starting point of a revolution. The advent of artificial intelligence is going to matter as much as computers and smartphones, Goodwin says confidently.

Do you want to know more about KI's role in innovation and the opportunities and challenges of using KI in road projects?

Register at Innovasjonsarena 22 October in Kristiansand.

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