Hot of the press in “bank und markt 06/19”: Opportunities and risks of AI for the financial sector

Artificial intelligence is the new buzz word of the financial industry, says Jochen Werne. In view of the rapid pace of technological development it is becoming a source of hope for the banks – and rightly so, writes the author. After all, banks have an enormous amount of data at their disposal. Despite all the digitalisation and areas of application of AI, Werne sees the chance for a renaissance of consulting as a link between people and the technical world. Red. Bank und Markt

Read the full article in the new June 2019 edition of BANK und MARKT here

Chancen und Risiken von KI für die Finanzbranche

German: Künstliche Intelligenz ist das neue Buzz-Wort der Finanzbranche, sagt Jochen Werne. Angesichts der rasanten technologischen Entwicklung wird sie zum Hoffnungsträger für die Banken – zu Recht, meint der Autor. Schließlich verfügen Banken über einen enormen Datenschatz. Trotz aller Digitalisierung und Einsatzbereiche von KI sieht Werne jedoch die Chance auf eine Renaissance der Beratung als Bindeglied zwischen Mensch und technisierter Welt. Red.

Join the action: Exclusive Ocean Heritage Red Carpet Event

Navigators’ Heritage Challenge meets Martina Late Night Show

On Friday the 28th of June at 7.30 p.m. the exclusive Navigators Heritage Red Carpet Event will take place at Palacio Can Marques in Palma de Mallorca

It is dedicated to raising awareness for the Ocean Challenge, the merits of Prince Albert I of Monaco as well as the associated UN Global Goal #14 to protect the world‘s oceans.

Martina’s Late Night Show

The dress to impress event consists of three insightful talks led by Martina Hirschmeier. 

H.S.H. Prince Albert II in talks with Expedition Leader Jochen Werne
H.S.H. Prince Albert II in talks with Expedition Leader Jochen Werne
Navigators Heritage Global Goals Representative Philippe Nguyen in talks with Antarctic Artist Esher Kokmejier

In the first talk, Jochen Werne will provide some background information about the Navigators Heritage Challenge. 

In the second talk, Philippe Nguyen will give some insights on how the challenge addresses the UN Global Goal #14: „Life Below Water.“ 

In the third talk, the architect Mathias Koester will present his innovative concept for a sustainable under water skyscraper. 

Late Night Star Martina Hirschmeier in talks with Architect Mathias Koester

Following the talks, food and drinks will be served on the Can Marques roof top terrace and there will be the possibility to further discuss the Navigators’ Heritage Challenge as well as its associated environmental goals as well as touching original navigation instruments from the 19th century provided by the International Maritime Museum Hamburg

We are grateful to event partners for their support and generosity.

Exclusive Event Location Palacio Can Marques, Palma de Mallorca

AI, Society, Sailing, Passion & more – on camera with Sascha Adam (Part 1)

Jochen Werne is full-time Director & Authorized Officer for Bankhaus August Lenz & Co. AG of the Mediolanum Banking Group and is responsible for Business Development, Marketing, Product Management, Treasury & B2B Payment Services. In addition, he is involved in the development of non-profit organizations and a member of the Learning Systems Platform of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

The initiative www.wegofive.net addresses the question of how a unit of man and machine can be created in the working world of tomorrow and how algorithms can be seamlessly integrated into the organization in order to supplement the capabilities of employees.

In this first, introductory part of our interview Jochen gives us an insight into what has changed for him in the last decades – and he finds out that “Hamburg is probably the most beautiful city in Germany” 😉

As an independent interim manager, profile and team coach, Sascha Adam supports people, decision-makers and companies in actively shaping digital change.

More at www.wegofive.net/mission/about or www.sascha-adam.net.

Many thanks to the coast by east Hamburg in the Hafencity Hamburg for the permission to film here. A very recommendable location with obliging service, extraordinary menu and good drinks. Apropos, the background noises also give you the feeling of sitting directly with us 😉

German original

Jochen Werne ist hauptberuflich Director & Authorized Officer für das Bankhaus August Lenz & Co. AG der Mediolanum Banking Group und verantwortet dort die Bereiche Business Development, Marketing, Product Management, Treasury & B2B Payment Services. Darüberhinaus ist er am Aufbau gemeinnütziger Organisationen beteiligt und Mitglied der Plattform Lernende Systeme des Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. Die Initiative www.wegofive.net geht der Frage nach wie in der Arbeitswelt von morgen eine Einheit aus Mensch & Maschine geschaffen werden kann und sich Algorithmen nahtlos in die Organisation integrieren, um die Fähigkeiten der Mitarbeiter zu ergänzen. In diesem ersten, einleitenden Teil unseres Interviews gibt uns Jochen einen Einblick was sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten für ihn verändert hat – und stellen fest, dass “Hamburg die wahrscheinlich schönste Stadt in Deutschland ist” 😉 Sascha Adam unterstützt als selbstständiger Interimsmanager, Profile- und Team-Coach Menschen, Entscheider und Unternehmen dabei den digitalen Wandel aktiv zu gestalten. Mehr unter www.wegofive.net/mission/about oder www.sascha-adam.net. Ganz herzlichen Dank an das coast by east Hamburg in der Hafencity Hamburg für die Genehmigung hier filmen zu dürfen. Eine sehr zu empfehlende Location mit zuvorkommender Bedienung, außergewöhnlicher Speisekarte und guten Drinks. Apropos, die Hintergrundgeräusche geben einem auch gleich das Gefühl direkt bei uns zu sitzen 😉

Video Comment #vflmkk: Wie steht es heute um die Kundenbeziehung?

Der Messekongress Kundenmanagement ist der IMPULSGEBER für ein erfolgreiches Zusammenspiel aller Kundenschnittstellen.Der Messekongress Kundenmanagement bietet Ihnen eine Bühne des fachlichen Austauschs rund um das “ganzheitliche Kundenmanagement von morgen”.

The trade fair congress “Customer Management” is giving IMPULSES for a successful interaction of all customer interfaces. The trade fair congress “Customer Management” offers you a stage for professional exchange around the “holistic customer management of tomorrow”.

Keynote announcement: International Banking Innovation Forum, Vienna

Banking Professionals are faced with many new challenges as PSD2 & Instant Payments in Europe at center stage which are driving automation and Innovations. It will be a great pleasure representing Bankhaus August Lenz with a keynote on the importance of the combination of all aspects of HUMAN, DIGITAL & CULTURE to create valuable business models for future banking. Looking forward joining other Top Industry Experts to tackle these topics with them.

A talk about Antarctica and extreme weather conditions with Anna-Maria Guth

It was a pleasure and great fun having an interview with Anna-Maria Guth about Antarctica, its importance for our planet and its extreme weather phenomenas

Jochen Werne

SCJohnson wrote: “An expedition under extreme conditions: From 12.02. – 28.02.2018 Jochen Werne led the expedition Antarctic Blanc to Antarctica. The team passed the Drake Passage and sailed “to the end of the world”. The extreme conditions at sea demand special protection: that’s why the crew had skin care products from SC Johnson Professional™ with them. Jochen Werne, expedition leader of the Antarctic Blanc, reports after the expedition on his experiences and new findings. “One hand for the man, one hand for the ship” – the perfect skin care for all professions and extreme weather situations is called Stokolan®.”

H.S.H. Prince Albert II will honour the merits of Albert 1er during the Navigators Heritage Challenge

The NAVIGATORS HERITAGE CHALLENGE is a 360 nautical mile OFFSHORE SAILING CHALLENGE where navigators are allowed to use only instruments invented before 1900. 

“It’s a great accolade for the Navigators Heritage Challengers and their engagement in creating international understanding and environmental awareness, that His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco is giving us the honour and will personally lay the wreath in commemoration of Albert 1er from the expedition’s flag ship on July 2, 2019”

Jochen Werne, Expedition Leader

IN REMEMBRANCE OF the unique explorer, seaman and statesman PRINCE ALBERT I of MONACO the challenge starts in Palma de Mallorca and ends Monaco with the goal to raise awareness and sensitise civil society for the importance of our MARITIME ECOSOCYSTEM in relation to the UNITED NATIONSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.

What makes this challenge special is that it is open – by invitation – to all types of sailing yachts, but for the participating crews it is only allowed to use navigation technologies invented before 1900. While the navigators on board give their best to determine their position at sea as accurately as possible, the spectators worldwide can follow the yachts and their tactics live on the Internet thanks to modern GPS tracking devices.

AudiMax Interview Banking: Klischees auf der Spur

Banker haben keine Freizeit.

Jochen Werne, Direktor der Bankhaus August Lenz & Co. AG antwortet AudiMax auf die Frage nach dem Klischee, dass Banker keine Freizeit haben. Text: Felix Schmidt / AudiMax


“Freizeit ist wichtig! Nicht nur zur Entspannung, sondern vor allem um den Blick über den Tellerrand hinaus zu schärfen. Die Bankenbranche befindet sich in einer der größten Umbruchphasen ihrer Geschichte. In solchen Phasen ist neben unternehmerischen Denken besonders Kreativität gefragt. Und wie kann man dies besser schöpfen als abseits täglicher Routinen”

Jochen Werne

Das Original der AudiMax Sommerausgabe findet sich hier

Man sollte nie so viel zu tun haben, dass man zum Nachdenken keine Zeit mehr hat.

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Erster deutscher Professor für Experimentalphysik im Zeitalter der Aufklärung

Small talk with Siri, Alexa & Co.

What role does humans play in times of exponential technological developments and how does this influence our society?

Author: Jochen Werne / first published May 2019 @LinkedInPulse

Siri or Alexa? Who can offer us more help in our daily life? Who provides the better answers and leads the more eloquent conversation? A legitimate question, because both Smart Devices are now so technically mature that it is difficult to make a simple distinction. Alexa was only launched in November 2014 in the USA and at the end of October 2016 in Germany.

Our world is changing from analogue to digital. While the invention of the printing press in 1450 by Gutenberg was a true milestone on the timeline of human development, we now live surrounded by smartphones and cloud applications in which we can store, share and retrieve even the most private information from anywhere in the world. Smart support is omnipresent: Siri accompanies us through everyday life in the form of Apple products and Alexa awaits us – Amazon powered – with a familiar voice when we get home. The intelligent speech assistance systems are only one of many modern applications of Machine & Deep Learning technologies and are therefore more broadly defined by artificial intelligence. With the extremely dynamic and rapid development of smart robotics and learning systems, some people are asking themselves what role humans will play on the stage of these technologies in the future.

The emerging technological possibilities, like all technological achievements in the past, have an impact on our daily personal lives, but their potential unfolds when we consider this impact in a scaled way and when it comes to our society as a whole. The Tübingen professor of media science, Bernhard Pörksen, even speaks of the fact that we have long since been able to be described as a “digital society” – this change took place in an extremely short time and without us being prepared for it. As a result, we would first have to learn competences to understand our actions in this new digital world and also to learn how to deal with the resulting effects. The learning of these skills takes place at different speeds in the case of digitisation issues, even against a demographic background. In contrast to the digital natives of the 21st century, some parts of our population with fewer points of contact with digital media find it more difficult to deal with the challenges of new technological standards and to adapt to the changed conditions in the service sector. The efficiency of the technical possibilities that permeate all areas of our lives is impressive, but it is crucial for success in the service sector not to ignore one factor: human empathy. 

An example of this is the financial sector. Your own money is an issue that most people are most personally concerned about. However, plagued by fears of loss, personal biases and an extremely complex oversupply of investment alternatives, many investors seek personal support that goes beyond enumerating facts. We are talking about human support and empathic accompaniment, which machines (so far) have not been able to provide. A service that ideally covers not only the technical aspects of financial consulting, but also the behavioural finance aspects.

Undoubtedly there are already developments like Google Assist, in which attempts are made to incorporate empathic components into the developments, but the ability of the machines to simulate emotions and accordingly cause emotional reactions in humans (still) reaches its limits.

The upcoming technological developments will help us to solve many hitherto unsolvable problems in e.g. medicine, in environments hostile to humans or in a World Food Programme in a relatively short time. But as always with new technologies, it is also important to limit the abusive possibilities of use and to educate population that have little contact with modern instruments and technologies, because otherwise there is the danger of creating a feeling of inequality, which in turn can lead in extreme cases to a division of society. The desired progress would thus be reversed into its opposite: a step backwards based on a lack of communication at the micro and macro levels. 

“It will certainly be our task in the future to ensure that developments in technological progress, artificial intelligence and the role of man go hand in hand. To advance optimizations through technology and digitization, as well as a parallel enlightenment of the individual with regard to his uniqueness in relation to technological development, as well as his social responsibility in this context.” 

Jochen Werne

The following comparison should simplify the problem between strengths and limitations of automated systems: In 2012 an autopilot would probably not have let the Costa Concordia collide with a rock – the reason was human, emotionally driven behaviour. But an autopilot could not have landed an Airbus 320 on the Hudson River in 2009 either. This required human experience and spontaneous creativity. Something that our brain can do, but that still allows the technical possibilities of AI to reach hard limits for the foreseeable future.

It remains to be said that smart devices like Alexa and Siri provide valuable support and even provide entertainment with the increasingly mature question-and-answer game. We can ask the digital companions anything. We also get – within the scope of technical possibilities – a cheeky answer. But we have to deal with the extent to which these answers provide us with what we expect, also on an emotional basis. Because our expectations often go beyond a technical answer. 

More in-depth insights on this topic can be found, for example, at the Platform for Learning Systems (https://www.plattform-lernende-systeme.de/home.html ).

Recorded: EIC19 keynote. The impacts of artificial intelligence on business and society. Disruption or just progress?

It has been greatly inspiring giving a keynote on the impacts of AI on business and society and to discuss with some of the 800 thought leaders, leading vendors, analysts, visionaries and executives at the highly recognised Kuppinger Cole European Identity & Cloud Conference 2019.

Jochen Werne

Find more inspiring keynotes from the #EIC19 here

Impressions