What are the four technological value creation modes for accessing AI competencies mentioned in the chapter, and can you provide an example for each?
The four technological value creation modes for accessing AI competencies are internal developments, acquisitions, outsourcing, and partnerships. Examples in the chapter include Siemens developing industrial AI capabilities in-house, Airbus acquiring cybersecurity AI firm Infodas, firms outsourcing AI to cloud providers like Google, AWS, and Microsoft, and Baker Hughes forming a joint venture with C3.ai.
In Section 5.1.3, the chapter explains that firms can access the technical competencies needed for machine learning-based AI through four value creation modes. Internal developments mean growing internal AI expertise for developing, deploying, and exploiting machine learning systems; Siemens exemplifies this by building in-house competencies for industrial use cases such as digital twins, generative AI machine programming assistants, and predictive maintenance. Acquisitions involve integrating an external firm with specific AI knowledge as a shortcut; Airbus acquired AI cybersecurity specialist Infodas in 2024 to quickly strengthen its cybersecurity competencies. Outsourcing means purchasing AI systems, infrastructure, platform access, or consulting services from external providers; the chapter notes many companies use cloud environments from hyperscalers such as Google, AWS, and Microsoft to access computing power and AI modules. Partnerships, including technology joint ventures and data pooling, allow firms to share risks and combine knowledge and infrastructure; Baker Hughes and C3.ai established a joint venture for AI solutions in the oil and gas industry, and PepsiCo collaborates with retailers to share data for better sales forecasting and supply-chain efficiency. The chapter also says firms may combine these modes to address capability and resource constraints, and they should compare short-term and long-term costs and benefits across modes.
Key points
- Internal developments grow in-house AI expertise, as Siemens did for industrial AI applications.
- Acquisitions provide a shortcut to rare or detailed AI knowledge, such as Airbus buying Infodas for cybersecurity.
- Outsourcing uses external providers for AI modules, infrastructure, or consulting, often through cloud hyperscalers like Google, AWS, or Microsoft.
- Partnerships, like the Baker Hughes and C3.ai joint venture, let firms share risks and combine AI knowledge and infrastructure.
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