Grassroots Power Makes Colleagues Smarter: AI Pioneers at Deutsche Telekom

Anyone who follows my feed here on LinkedIn knows that a little over six months ago, I set out with a handful of colleagues to bring AI knowledge to exactly where it is needed within Deutsche Telekom: right into the heart of every department. The initiative started within the Service Development and Innovation department with the benevolent support of our SVP for Operational Excellence & Innovation, Peter Meier van Esch. Thanks to close and supportive cooperation with our social partners via the Group Works Council, we were soon able to secure approval for our grassroots movement for the entire Group. About the same time, we were able to win over the Telekom-internal “Academy” of Sales & Service for our project, where we also found a large number of motivated and (this is particularly important here) intrinsically motivated colleagues who have been actively supporting us ever since. In our next season the academy will even offer exclusive trainings for our second batch of new incoming AI-Pioneer Leads - these are former AI Pioneers who have already earned their place to become trainers themselves. The circle is complete.

6 months after the launch, we have already trained almost 1,000 colleagues as AI pioneers in the first level and the number is growing daily. And while Germany is generally perceived as a laggard in the international AI discussion, a remarkable movement is developing at the Bonn headquarters: it seems to be the order of the day to accompany colleagues into the future as an AI pioneer at Deutsche Telekom. The AI pioneers show us how the AI turnaround could perhaps still succeed in Germany in general. Srini Gopalan always wanted Deutsche Telekom to be seen as a digital role model for Germany. Employees of our company bear responsibility for a prudent approach to the future of this country and its people. And at a time when companies around the world are fighting for AI talent and Europe needs to rediscover and strengthen its digital sovereignty, we seem to have found a particularly promising approach with the AI pioneers. Nobody can be blamed for the fact that some people initially thought the project was “very ambitious”. But I was convinced that we had to aim for Mars here in order to ultimately land on the moon. Or as Hermann Hesse once so aptly put it:

“You have to try the impossible to achieve the possible.”

Deutsche Telekom proves this impressively with its systematic approach to AI transformation - and the AI pioneers are just one of many pieces of the puzzle in an overall AI transformation strategy, alongside the AICC (Deutsche Telekom’s “Artificial Intelligence Center”), the “AI Community”, the “AI Guild” and the company’s multiple AI-centric initiatives. It’s impressive to see what passion for a topic and the belief that you can make the future a little more liveable through your own actions can achieve.

From the Inside Out: The AI Pioneer Program as a Blueprint

With the AI pioneers, we are aiming for “AI Enablement @ Deutsche Telekom” - an approach that could possibly also be used as a model for other areas of the German economy. Instead of hiring external consultants or poaching expensive AI experts, we are focusing on training our own employees. Max Wunderlich, one of the AI pioneers from the very beginning, describes the program as “exclusive training on the latest AI technologies”, which makes it possible to “look specifically at how and where AI can be used in the departments”.

The approach mixes the best of both worlds: The AI pioneers know the internal processes, understand the challenges first-hand and can develop customized solutions specific to their area of expertise. At the same time, they become AI know-how multipliers who spread their knowledge throughout the entire organization. The program shows how systematic training, AI ethics, compliance and ultimately the practical application of AI can go hand in hand in the development of realistic use case scenarios. And the fact that you can also have a lot of interaction and fun in the process is not exactly “top of mind” when you think of corporate training.

The success of this approach is reflected in concrete results: the first AI application concepts are developed in brainstorming sessions, world cafés and innovation speed dating sessions based directly on the needs of actual practice. This differs fundamentally from many other companies that view AI as an isolated technology for which use cases are then sought instead of understanding it as an integral part of their business processes. It is important here to always start from the user problem and not from a technology for which application scenarios are (at worst) invented.

Ethics and Sustainability: The Green AI Vision

Another aspect that distinguishes Deutsche Telekom as a role model is its holistic approach to AI development. Back in 2018, Deutsche Telekom was one of the first companies in the world to introduce ethical guidelines for dealing with AI. The principles for “green artificial intelligence” have now followed in order to promote a sustainable approach.

Claudia Nemat, member of the Deutsche Telekom Board of Management, emphasizes consistently:

“The focus must be on people.”

This philosophy is reflected in practical initiatives such as the “AI Tool Radar” and the “Green Software Engineering” projects. One particular innovation is the “Green Coding” solution, which helps developers to understand the energy consumption of their algorithms and develop resource-saving alternatives. The sustainability-oriented approach addresses one of the most pressing challenges in AI development: the enormous energy consumption involved in training and operating large models. By making environmental aspects a core part of its AI strategy, Deutsche Telekom is setting an example of how German companies can lead the way in responsible AI development.

Strategic Partnerships: The Nvidia Alliance as a Gamechanger

The recent announcement of a strategic partnership between Deutsche Telekom and Nvidia marks a turning point for the German AI landscape. Together, they plan to build the world’s first industrial AI cloud for European manufacturers on German soil by 2026. This initiative goes far beyond a normal business partnership, as it aims to give Germany a leading position in the global AI competition. Of course, it must also be possible to critically question why a US provider is needed for this. Of course, NVIDIA is the de facto top dog among AI hardware, but couldn’t a sign of trust in a European solution have been sent here?

Timotheus Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, sums up the urgency clearly:

“Europe’s technological future needs a sprint, not a walk.”

Deutsche Telekom wants to integrate at least 10,000 GPU computing units from Nvidia into existing data centers. This should not only create the basis for AI gigafactories, but also advance the German industrial location through rapid AI implementation.

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, summarizes the vision:

“In the age of AI, every manufacturer needs two factories: one to make things and one to create the intelligence that powers them.”

This partnership shows how German companies can achieve international technology leadership through strategic alliances.

Did You Know?

Deutsche Telekom was one of the first companies in the world to define a framework for the ethical use of AI back in 2018 - three years before the EU presented its first AI regulatory proposals!

Tips and Tricks

• Develop internal talent: Instead of recruiting expensive external AI experts, invest in training your own employees. The AI pioneers at Deutsche Telekom could be a first step.
• Consider ethics from the outset: Develop AI guidelines early on in the process, not just when problems arise.
• Think about sustainability: Integrate energy efficiency as an integral part of your AI strategy.
• Strategic partnerships: Look for strong international partners to close technology gaps that you cannot overcome on your own.
• Practical application: Focus on concrete business problems rather than theoretical AI possibilities. Start early to try things out, test, discard and rebuild.

The AI pioneers at Deutsche Telekom impressively demonstrate that the German AI turnaround is not only possible, but already in full swing. Their systematic approach of internal talent development, ethical principles and strategic partnerships could potentially serve as a model for other areas of the German economy. As Albert Einstein said:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge, because knowledge is limited.”

The Deutsche Telekom pioneers are proving every day that German companies have the imagination and know-how to successfully tackle and, above all, shape the future with AI.