Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence! But only a few are really using it efficiently – and even fewer understand the potential it already harbours, especially for medium-sized companies.
This is exactly where we come in: Our AI hackthons create a space in which you can get involved, experiment and learn – and end up with tangible results. Georg Obermayr, Technical Evangelist at schalk&friends, explains why we developed the format, how it works and what it achieves.
Talk is silver, action is gold!
“At the moment, too few companies are really using AI profitably on a day-to-day basis,” says Georg. “Many simply don’t have the time or the concrete starting point.” However, trial and error is crucial to really understanding AI – not as a black box, but as a tool.
To this end, he has launched the monthly AI hackthon at schalk&friends: Together, everyone who is interested commits to an AI tool and a very specific goal. This creates a protected space for experiencing, thinking and experimenting. After the exercise, everyone’s experiences and results are discussed in order to recognise new potential, exchange tips and tricks or find out why something didn’t work. Georg puts it succinctly and aptly – the hackathon is: “A gift of time that whets the appetite for AI.”
One format for all
Whether marketing, sales or product development: Everyone is explicitly invited to our hackspace, not just developers. Each department brings its own questions, which can then be worked on together, always pragmatically, openly and with interesting input from the trade. This is how it works internally, but not only: “When we plan the hackspace for customers, we structure the whole thing a little more,” explains Georg. “We provide targeted impetus, coach during implementation – and thus ensure that nobody loses their goal or the fun of trying things out.” From simple prompts to customised GPTs: the results are as diverse as the participants themselves.
From Aha! to Oho!
The success proves Georg right: so far, there has been unexpectedly enthusiastic feedback in each of our AI hackathons. In many cases, initial experiments have turned into concrete solutions that have become an integral part of everyday working life. The team’s AI expertise is growing noticeably. “One customer said to me during a workshop: ‘What we have just learnt will save us time in the coming weeks. – That’s all you really need to say,” says Georg.
Future included – because AI never stands still
These AI hackthons already bring great benefits as individual events, but they become even more relevant if you see them as a continuous process. There are always new topics, new tools, new use cases, which is why we are constantly developing the format further: with concrete work packages, more in-depth objectives – but without losing the playful character. Because, says Georg: “Experimentation remains central. It is the key to new ideas and effective adaptation”.
