About the AIoT User Group

Welcome to the AIoT Playbook! Let`s get started by addressing the following: How did we get here? What do we mean by smart, connected products (and solutions)? What are the key plays of the AIoT Playbook? And how to best read the book?

About the AIoT Playbook and the AIoT User Group

In January 2020, a hand full of senior IT experts and enthusiasts from different companies met at the Bosch Connectory in Stuttgart to exchange their experiences and views on AI and IoT. AI was at the peak of a new hype, fueled by Alpha Go, advancements in autonomous driving, and not to forget about Cambridge Analytica. The general feeling was that - with the exception of autonomous driving - AI had not really arrived in the world of IoT. Sure, every IoT article or presentation in the last 10 years had mentioned predictive maintenance, but in reality many IoT applications were still much more basic. So how could one better utilize AI in the world of physical products, manufacturing, and equipment operations? The workshop was organized as an open exchange, with a mixture of presentations and group discussions. After three days, there was so much excitement about the topic and the way collaboration in the group worked, that it was decided to make this a regular thing. The result was the formation of the AIoT User Group, a loosely coupled, non-profit network of AI and IoT practitioners, who work together to exchange experiences and best practices on the application of AI in the IoT. Over the time, local chapters were set up in Singapore (special thanks to CK and Thomas!), Shanghai (Nǐ hǎo, Gene and Cherry!) and Chicago (hi Fermin and Hans!).

Picture: First AIoT User Group meeting, with practitioners from Accenture, Bosch, Clariba, Deutsche Post, Evaco, mm1, Opitz, Recogizer, TH Köln and Tomorrow Labs, at the Bosch Connectory in Stuttgart.

Over time, it became clear that it would make sense to document the collected wisdom in a good practice framework - this is how the AIoT Playbook started. Content creation is driven by experts in different domains (see the AIoT Expert Network). The AIoT Editorial Board provides strategic guidance and management support. The basic working mode are so-called Unplugged-Sessions, where the real work on the Playbook is happening. All the material is developed as open source content (using CC BY 4.0), and is also used as foundation for different AIoT-related training courses.

If you are interested in joining the AIoT User Group, good starting points are the website aiot.rocks, as well as the AIoT User Group on LinkedIn.