NEC Slashes Software Costs with AI as Industry Embraces New Tech

NEC Cuts Software Engineering Costs by 70% with AI

Japanese company NEC has successfully reduced labor costs for certain software engineering tasks by up to 70% using AI. The company's ongoing experiment has cut document preparation time in half and reduced meeting minute transcription from 30 minutes to just five, demonstrating the potential for AI to streamline business processes.

In South Korea, fabless startups are focusing on designing AI chips to capitalize on the growing global market for AI computing. These startups are receiving support from Samsung Electronics and the government, positioning them to compete in this rapidly expanding industry.

The humanoid robotics industry is entering a new phase with pilot testing in various sectors. Apptronik, a University of Austin spinout known for its work on NASA's Valkyrie humanoid robot, is collaborating with Mercedes-Benz to identify applications for advanced robotics in car manufacturing. The robots will be used to automate low-skill, physically demanding manual labor tasks, such as moving totes from one point to another. These pilot projects showcase Apptronik's technology and demonstrate Mercedes-Benz's commitment to future technologies.

Apple has reportedly acquired DarwinAI, a Canada-based AI startup specializing in vision-based technology for manufacturing efficiency. Several members of the startup's team joined Apple's machine learning teams in January. DarwinAI's techniques to make AI models smaller and faster could be useful for on-device generative AI features Apple plans to introduce in iOS 18 later this year.

As AI continues to advance, companies across various industries are exploring ways to leverage this technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and drive innovation. From software engineering to manufacturing and robotics, AI is transforming the way businesses operate and compete in the global marketplace.