Press & Insights from
 OAKAI by Ralph Schwehr

2026 is the year that AI finally leaves its comfort zone. Moving away from pilot projects and into operational reality: in airspace, in the electromagnetic spectrum, in command and control networks. Today, when people talk about defense AI, they're no longer just talking about algorithms, but about chips, sovereignty, procurement architectures, and rules of engagement. Europe, the USA, Ukraine, NATO - the seven signals of the last few weeks paint a clear picture: The next wa

Digital sovereignty lies in the ability to control data, digital infrastructure, and key algorithms in one's own interest, rather than merely possessing usage rights to black-box platforms. Current research on "Digital Sovereignty in the Era of Industry 5.0" emphasizes precisely these aspects: control over data, infrastructure, and digital artifacts such as models or pipelines. The framework conditions are becoming more difficult for European companies: Hyperscaler dominanc

CEOs, Entscheider und VCs stehen vor einer neuen Führungsfrage: Wie orchestrieren wir Menschen und AI‑Agenten so, dass Organisationen schneller lernen, resilienter handeln und menschliche Stärken wachsen statt schrumpfen?

Dear readers, First and foremost: Thank you. 🙏 These analyses are now read thousands of times, and you are among our most loyal readers from the very beginning. Without you , Voice of AI would not exist in this form. I wish you all the best for the new year 2026 – health, confidence, and success! ✨ Yours, Ralph Schwehr 2026 will be a year of clarity: Away from the AI hype, towards effective applications with measurable ROI . Away from blind growth, towards targeted buy-a

2025 was a year in which we all learned that AI isn't just making headlines, but is reshaping business models – caught between EU regulations, US speed, and global billions in investment. And yes, sometimes it felt like a Christmas market: loud, colorful, full of promises. But only those who find the right stall get the mulled wine that truly warms you.   👉 Thank you for the overwhelming support, the stimulating discussions, and the trust you have placed in us this year. W

Just a few days until Christmas, fairy lights outside, a fireworks display of releases inside. While many switch into year-end mode, the big AI players are really ramping up their efforts: Google, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM & Co. will be shifting the focus of the AI stack in just a few days, from standard models and infrastructure to data flows and location policies. Before we dive in: Thank you for joining us week after week , reading this newsletter, sharing it

Those who are not AI Ready today will fall behind tomorrow. Bronze, silver, gold – three levels, one clear signal: clarity about one's own status and trust among partners, investors and customers. AI Ready is our practical OAKAI self-assessment tool . Companies can use it to independently check: Have we not only understood AI , but also strategically integrated it ? Are we using data, technology , and culture in a way that makes innovation scalable ? Do we meet the re

This week, the AI world feels like a stress test under laboratory conditions . Regulation, capital markets, enterprise adoption, and infrastructure are all intertwined. It is precisely at this intersection that it will be decided who writes the rules of the game in the emerging "ecosystem of intelligence" and who merely follows them. Enjoy reading, Ralph Schwehr 1. Regulation & Trust: AI in the Legal and Political Stress Test In the UK, over 100 parliamentarians from variou

Something has shifted. Again. While many are still talking about "AI in customer dialogue," a new layer is moving into focus in the enterprise stack: agents that not only respond but also act, based on a data foundation that delivers "Next Best Actions" in real time. What was recently a vision has become tangible in the last two weeks: from Salesforce and Microsoft to Freshworks, Pega, Genesys, and Iterable. As outlined in the last issue of Voice of AI, the value creation lev

Everyone's talking about AI investments . Hardly anyone talks about the risks . And even fewer provide reliable decision-making criteria . The fact is: Without technical due diligence , you're not investing in AI. You're investing in hope. 👉 Our free 8-criteria scorecard shows whether your AI project has substance or is just buzzwords . Without measurability, AI remains a matter of chance. Or would you build a skyscraper without checking the foundation beforehand, a

Ralph Schwehr Europe is currently experiencing a twofold paradigm shift: defense is going digital and cloud computing is becoming sovereign. AI-controlled drones, "AI pilots," and sensor fusion are leaving the laboratory; at the same time, Brussels and the hyperscalers are establishing concrete facts for data and infrastructure sovereignty. We provide context, summarize the most important developments, and deliver actionable criteria for your roadmap. From prototype to deploy

Fast, independent assessment of strategy, architecture, data quality, organization and governance for secure investment and product decisions.   What we deliver: Technical due diligence specifically for your AI projects, precise and business-oriented; technical findings are directly translated into decision-relevant measures, including: Architecture Review Data Assessment Security and compliance checks   Concrete results. Not a technical report, but actionable decision-maki

Data centers are springing up everywhere, capital is swirling like a tornado, but the most vulnerable bottleneck lies in the unseen: trust, mental health, fair data practices. This issue spans from 50-billion-dollar projects to copyright rulings and the question of how we build systems that stabilize people rather than overwhelm them . The common thread: scaling is only progress if safety and dignity grow along with it. Infrastructure & Energy: The pace in gigawatts Physic

Europe is ramping up its performance. An " AI factory " is taking shape in Munich , Google is making navigation conversational , OpenAI is launching AI video , and the platform landscape is reorganizing itself with alliances, agents, and mergers. The underlying pattern: those who want growth are combining computing power, models, use cases, and governance. What matters this week: concise, contextualizing, and action-oriented. Munich is taking the lead: Industrial AI Clo

Ready for AI? Our 8-criteria scorecard evaluates strategy, data quality, infrastructure, organization, governance, security, processes and change management using specific KPIs . Practical, measurable, groundbreaking. For CEOs, executives, and investors who value effectiveness over hype. 👉 Schedule a 30-minute Executive Initial Review now or take advantage of our comprehensive three-stage audit. For strategic foresight and sound decisions. Our OAK AI 8-criteria sc

Ask yourself: I s my organization ready to use AI strategically, embed it operationally, and scale it responsibly? 🚀 OAK AI has developed a practical 8-criteria scorecard that provides CEOs, executives, and shareholders with a solid assessment and identifies initial, concrete action areas. 👉 Ready for AI? Follow us on OAKAI | LinkedIn #AI   #DigitalTransformation   #Leadership   #Governance   #DataStrategy   #OAKAI   #VoiceofAI

Ralph Schwehr Something has shifted. Not quiet, not slow, but tectonic. While public discourse is still debating chatbots, regulation, and liability, a new order is emerging in the background: an economy of intelligence. One in which computing power, data flows, and trust are the new axes of power, and in which the decision is currently being made as to who will lead the next industrial revolution. 2025 is the year AI comes of age. The experimental phase is over. Now it's a

The new front line of digitalization (Ralph Schwehr) The defense landscape is placing even greater emphasis on AI and data infrastructure. Anduril is presenting EagleEye , a mixed-reality system that integrates sensors, situational awareness, and drone control into the helmet, a step toward the "AI teammate" in combat. The Verge . At the same time, the UK wants to lower legal hurdles and allow soldiers to immediately shoot down threatening drones. This reflects the growi

When intelligence gets moving Ralph Schwehr October 9, 2025 The silent revolution is taking shape. For decades, artificial intelligence ...

A greeting from the hallowed halls of Bits & Pretzels in Munich ;-) Can five employees achieve as much as fifty used to? That's exactly...