This was announced by Tanja Rückert, Chief Digital Officer of the Bosch Group, in an online press conference at the CES technology trade fair in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

As a concrete example of the use of AI, Rückert referred to the Bosch SoundSee sensor system, which has been traveling in space since the end of 2019 to filter out unusual noises in the ISS space station. AI algorithms are used to analyze the noises to determine when maintenance is required.

The AI-supported noise analysis will also be used as a diagnostic tool in pediatric medicine in the future. The sensors and algorithms are to be adapted so that they can detect lung diseases such as asthma at a young age by listening to and evaluating breathing patterns. "Using innovative technology to improve children's health - that's what we mean by high-tech," said Mike Mansuetti, President of Bosch in North America.

AI and networking bring growth

In addition to artificial intelligence, Bosch is focusing primarily on connectivity, said Rückert. From the start of the year, all of Bosch's electronic product classes will be networkable. The business with appliances for the smart home, for example, is experiencing strong growth. "Sales of connectable power tools, household appliances and heaters alone have increased by half within a year - from four million in 2020 to more than six million in 2021," said Rückert.

Bosch is digitizing its core business in order to increase customer benefits. The insights gained from analyzing the data and connectivity should help to continuously improve the products. For example, the performance of e-bikes with Bosch technology can also be improved after the sale through updates via mobile communications.

Bosch also expects the strategy to further improve economic results. "In future, we want to derive service revenue from every sale of digital products," said Rückert. With the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence (BCAI), the company has established a strong unit in the field of AI at seven locations, which is already making a positive contribution to earnings of around 300 million euros.

Bosch had originally planned its CES press conference in Las Vegas as an in-person event, but switched to an online conference due to current developments. However, the German company will have a stand at the technology trade fair.