How is AI helping business, government and society?

By processing high volumes of data an order of magnitude faster than previously possible, AI solutions are helping us address the most pressing business and societal challenges.

Fujitsu provides a toolbox of proven AI technologies, from image recognition and machine learning through to natural language processing.

These technologies can be adapted, combined and deployed, for example to help manage the natural environment and ever more extreme weather conditions associated with climate change.

By helping organisations to transform their process efficiency, AI can enhance user experience and create new sustainable service models.

The technology is helping organisations reimagine how they provide user value, for example by improving business productivity or driving better outcomes for users of vital Government services.

What are Quantum-Inspired Optimization Services?

Fujitsu’s Quantum-Inspired Optimization Services (QIOS), powered by the Digital Annealer platform, are helping organisations to address the extreme complexity of modern business and societal challenges.

Digital Annealer deploys quantum-inspired techniques to resolve large-scale complex combinatorial optimization problems in near to real-time.

Combinatorial optimization enables organisations to find the best arrangement of options from many possible arrangements.

Delivered as an end-to-end service, QIOS can be deployed anywhere from cloud to on-premises, fully compatible with existing architectures and fitting seamlessly into existing business workflows and processes.

The applications of quantum-inspired technology are extensive, ranging from logistics and warehouse optimization through to molecular research for drug discovery and the management of complex investment portfolios.

What is Fugaku?

Developed jointly by Fujitsu and the RIKEN research institute in Japan, Fugaku is the world’s fastest supercomputer.

Combining high performance with low energy consumption, Fugaku is ideally suited to powering modern Big Data and AI applications.

By deploying the latest processor and software technologies, Fugaku is helping to resolve some of the most complex challenges facing modern society and develop a new generation of solutions, from predicting extreme weather conditions to accelerating the drug discovery process.

Maximising stadium and event capacity

Quantum-inspired computing can maximise attendance at live events in line with social distancing requirements, optimising revenues while helping more people enjoy live events.

Fujitsu’s quantum-inspired solutions have demonstrated potential 40% improvements in crowd occupancy at the Nürburgring under current restrictions.

Rapid detection and diagnosis of brain aneurysms.

Brain aneurysms are present in 3.2% of the population.

This process comes with error rates of up to 16%.

AI is improving the analysis of brain aneurysms, reducing treatment costs and ultimately saving lives.

By using algorithms to improve diagnosis and treatment plans, AI is detecting aneurysms that might otherwise have been missed by the human eye.

Fujitsu AI is now helping Macquarie University in Australia to innovate aneurysm detection and analysis techniques to free up time for radiologists.

Optimised surgical scheduling.

Optimised surgical scheduling is crucial to hospital performance, yet despite best efforts by scheduling staff, surgical throughput is left on the table.

Quantum-inspired computing can transform the effective scheduling of surgical procedures.

It allows manual processes to be replaced, assessing the optimal combination of multiple factors, from surgical availability to patient priority.

The technology is already reducing backlog and typically drives a 15% increase in surgical output.

Student Experience

Fujitsu Intelligent Workplace helps to provide a seamless student experience, from preparing for a busy day to getting the most out of campus facilities.

Students can manage schedules and reservations for workspaces, amenities and events. They can also book and access bike storage, lockers, showers, reading rooms – any aspect of life on campus.

Two-way communication enables the institution to engage students in promotions and wellness campaigns while students can quickly and easily flag up any issues with rooms or equipment.

With a unified mobile app, easy QR scanning and detailed analytics, students enjoy a tailored, intuitive journey while institutions ensure that they use their resources optimally.

Workspace Utilisation

Fujitsu Intelligent Workplace enables you to optimise single- and multi-occupancy workspaces to suit your business needs.

Real time space availability is promoted to user apps for searching and wayfinding while detailed analytics provide utilisation assessment by time, occupancy, capacity, no-shows and more.

Using AI to increase road safety

AI is already working to make driving safer through features like lane guidance sensors and traffic light recognition. AI can make driving even safer by analysing real-time video coverage of roads, traffic and hazards, and linking the analysis to roadside message display systems and other warning channels. Human monitoring of multiple camera feeds has reached its practical limits while machine learning techniques are becoming increasingly better at automatically recognising and differentiating between the path, grass, gravel and guard rails as well as obstacles and hazards on the road. Similar AI-approaches using Fujitsu AI, are already being evaluated in racetracks for example. It is only a matter of time that AI is widely used for road safety to predict consequences for traffic and suggest ways to avoid dangers and delays.

Modernising the rail network

AI is helping rail operators manage huge estates of assets and data, including 20,000 miles of track, 40,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts, 20 major stations and thousands of signals and level crossings.

This enables rail operators to fix faults and plan upgrades more efficiently for their customers.

By introducing AI-based modelling, Fujitsu is enabling Network Rail to modernise the UK’s rail infrastructure to automatically catalogue assets and their attributes. Helping to identify faults and saving engineers time when undertaking surveys.

Earth observation: Data Service (3D radar)

Earth observation generates a massive amount of raw data which grows further as it is combined with relevant terrestrial data sources. The data volume continues to expand as more devices capture more types of data in greater detail.

Fujitsu is looking beyond basic data capture to providing actionable data – data that has been categorised so that it can be used to inform business decisions from socio-economic planning to commodity management and environmental monitoring.

We are working with partners across the earth observation value chain, seeking ways to make data create more value for everyone.

Earth observation: Space Safety

With the number of space activities and launches increasing rapidly, safety in space is becoming a big issue. Fujitsu is working to make space debris removal commercially viable and researching space traffic management systems.

Space systems (including satellites) are expensive assets, and we depend on them more than ever in our daily lives. Fujitsu is developing security techniques to bring business-class security to these vital systems.

Earth observation: Climate change

Governments need reliable information to address climate change, mitigate biodiversity loss and meet UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Fujitsu is working to provide complete and actionable data that is ready for climate modelling, emergency planning and recovery, and management of natural resources.

The global market size for environmental monitoring is expected to reach $26.7bn by 2025.

Smoothing traffic flows

AI can improve traffic flows, cutting congestion and reducing pollution.

By analysing live CCTV feeds, AI dynamically manages traffic signals and digital signage.

Fujitsu predictive AI solutions have already helped the City of Montreal to improve traffic flows across 2500+ traffic lights across the city.

Transforming car insurance and improving driver safety

AI helps insurers make faster decisions following traffic accidents.

By determining road conditions, signals, vehicle positions and speeds, AI creates accurate situational analysis.

Fujitsu AI enabled Japanese insurer Aioi Nissay Dowa to halve the time needed to resolve insurance claims, reducing the time to pay out damage liability insurance.

Making unmanned, checkout-free stores a reality

AI combines customer behaviour and product recognition to make unmanned, checkout-free stores a reality.

The technology enables automated recognition of individuals, detection of selected products and charging of on-file payment methods. The business benefits are significant: Fujitsu’s AI solutions are already enabling BGF to introduce secure, unmanned stores in South Korea.

AI-enabled customer service

AI techniques can identify patterns of customer or store associate behavior which can be used to improve the customer experience, ensure compliance with regulations and upskill staff. For example, AI can recognise when a customer might need help, check that greeters are meeting their targets, and verify that safety protocols are being followed. It can also help to reduce store shrinkage at the checkout, alert managers to suspicious behaviour or threats, and identify opportunities for staff coaching and training.

Maximising delivery capacity

On a daily basis, the total distance travelled by Japan Post is 1.72 million kilometers, which is equivalent to circling the earth 43 times. They deliver over 5 billion packages per year.

Quantum-inspired computing optimizes the allocation of drivers and vehicles to deliver packages in the most efficient and timely way, reducing emissions while improving customer experience.

Fujitsu quantum-inspired solutions helped Japan Post increase delivery capacity by 12% while reducing costs by 7%.

Optimising supply chain and warehouse operations

Sub-optimal logistics operations result in higher costs and inefficient stock management.

Quantum-inspired computing can help logistics operations to optimize stock management and delivery planning by picking stock from the warehouse in the most optimal fashion, using real-time order data and location.

This reduces costs and emissions while improving customer service.

Fujitsu quantum-inspired solutions have already helped Toyota Systems to reduce their operational logistics costs by 5% by identifying the optimal distribution routes.

Using real-time traffic data to speed-up deliveries

Quantum-inspired computing can be used to design last-mile delivery routes that take into account real-time traffic and logistics data.

This way, customers get their goods faster and delivery drivers spend less time stuck in traffic, using fuel and causing emissions.

Enabling goods to be moved efficiently

Inventory needs to flow efficiently between warehouses and distribution centers so that parts and goods are constantly moving nearer to their points of ultimate use.

AI and quantum-inspired computing can create dynamic plans that allocate inventory across different facilities according to need and design transfer schedules that reduce overall movements.

Preventing costly stock surpluses

AI and quantum-inspired computing can be used to optimize the quantity of each SKU held at stores, depots and warehouses, in line with projected demand. The same technologies can be used to optimize raw materials ordering and storage.

Finding the sweet spot between having enough inventory to satisfy demand and overstocking – which may mean discounting products to move them – is a massive opportunity cost for large retailers.

Enabling quicker product packing

Fast, accurate picking is key to product assembly and shipping.

Quantum-inspired computing can find the most efficient pick sequences and routing for warehouse staff or robots collecting items from warehouse shelves and bins.

It can also be used to develop optimal warehouse designs to achieve further benefits.

Improving decision-making and returns for traders and investors

Quantum-inspired computing techniques enable informed risk-return assessment of complex stock and trading options.

Providing competitive advantage for portfolio managers and better returns for investors.

Fujitsu’s quantum-inspired solutions enable Melco Investments in Japan to base decisions on thorough scientific analysis.

Analysis & mitigation of bias for credit lending

In today’s digital world most credit or loan applications are made online. Banks must work hard to ensure the AI technology they use to process these application is trustworthy and free from unconscious discrimination. Fujitsu and a prominent European Bank co created an application that explores fairness criteria and selects the most appropriate mitigation technique to promote fairness and reduce bias by introducing this ethical AI based modelling, Fujitsu is enabling the Bank to ensure customers are treated equally and fairly, without bias or discrimination. This is an important step towards demonstrating to the banking regulator, that their AI systems treat customers fairly and in doing so do not discriminate against minorities or marginalized groups. We have recently launched Fujitsu’s AI Ethical Impact Assessment (AIEIA) methodology which banks can use to self-assess their AI systems against ethical principles using a risk-based approach.

Protecting police with Digital Indentification

Approximately 15% of offenders required to check into the police station don’t check-in and fall through the net.

Facial recognition technology can now automate bail check-in processes in police stations, by introducing a digital kiosk to carry out a multi-factor authentication check.

This removes paperwork and manual processes, transforming the speed and accuracy of routine bail monitoring.

The technology saves valuable time for police officers and protecting their personal safety.

Ensuring food safety and boosting healthy living with AI

French company Phytocontrol analyses food samples to ensure they are free from contaminants and fit for human consumption – a traditionally time-consuming and error-prone process.

Fujitsu used AI to co-create an intuitive new solution integrated with a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. Samples are now processed in seconds using automated chromatography analysis and machine learning, accelerating the process and eliminating human error.

The ERP integration brings data analytics closer to business operations. The intuitive user-friendly interface, backed by new AI-enabled predictive capabilities, means their technicians spend much less time in raw data analysis, while expanding the range of tests that can be done in the same time or even faster, lowering food risk for us all and helping food to reach store shelves faster and fresher.

Using blockchain to create a transparent beer supply chain

Fujitsu has helped brewer AB InBev to pilot transparency and traceability of its supply chain of barley, from farm to consumer.

QR codes were added to one million Leffe beer packs in France, enabling buyers to trace the barley from farms in northeast France to a malthouse in Antwerp and on to the brewery in Leuven.

The data behind the QR codes – including environmental impacts – gives a full end-to-end view of the supply chain. The data can also be used to improve growers’ yields, water and energy efficiency, and soil health.

Fujitsu, working with partner SettleMint, used blockchain technology to guarantee the trustworthiness and security of the data. The solution was integrated with the company’s existing SAP and supply chain management systems.

Production campaign scheduling optimisation

Optimize production from raw materials and active ingredients to final goods, taking into account time, space, sequencing, and locations.

Detecting flaws in aeroplane parts

Manufacturing aerospace components demands the highest level of quality control.

Quality checks are performed by inspectors who can take between 30 minutes and several hours examining each part on the production line.

AI automatically detects flaws in aeroplane parts, accelerating inspection cycles, improving quality and reducing costs.

GKN Aerospace has already driven 50% productivity improvements, speeding up throughput of aeroplane parts by introducing Fujitsu’s AI-enabled Augmented Defect Recognition (ADR) solution.

Controlling the flow of cargo

Long-distance delivery is becoming more complex as transportation modes, routes and port facilities come under fast-changing pressures. Using quantum-inspired computing, port operators can dynamically control the flow, staging and loading/unloading of cargoes for optimum usage of their sites, equipment and people.

Reducing collisions at sea

AI can proactively predict collisions in congested ports, giving advance warning of potential incidents and allowing time for corrective actions.

Fujitsu AI is already helping the port authorities in Singapore to reduce the risk of maritime collisions, detecting potential hotspots up to 15 minutes in advance.

Modernizing the UK's flood warning service

As climate change has increased the risks of extreme weather events, Fujitsu used Agile approaches and cocreation with the Environment Agency to deliver a cloud-first critical flood warning system. Using digital co-creation techniques, Fujitsu helped the Agency create a warning-as-a-service platform, created an entirely new warning within 20 minutes rather than half a day. The system integrates Amazon Polly, an AI text-to-speech service and uses real time data to deliver targeted, clear and timely flood alerts faster across multiple digital channels to 5 million people that live in flood risk areas in England and Wales. Since its launch the new system has sent over 7 million messages to citizens, across email, text, telephone and social media, with uptime at 99.999%.