Bosch announced its plan to invest over €2.5 billion in the application and development of AI by the end of 2027 during the recently held Bosch Tech Day 2025.
Bosch made it clear at this Tech Day that it views AI as a catalyst for innovation in its products and services and a driving force for growth. They believe that AI will make autonomous driving safer, ensure consistent quality checks in the manufacturing process, and enhance convenience in consumers' daily lives at work, during leisure time, and at home.
Dr. Stefan Hartung, chairman of the Bosch board and head of the Bosch Group, said, "The groundbreaking advancements in AI have opened up an entirely new chapter of technology, accelerating innovation development and allowing us to commercialize it." Bosch has secured a clear competitive advantage by being an early adopter of AI, combining it with deep industry expertise. Additionally, Bosch has become one of the corporations in Europe with the highest number of patents, filing over 1,500 patents in the AI field over the past five years.
One of the areas Bosch aims to leverage AI is in driver assistance and autonomous driving. Although the momentum in this field has not yet reached its peak, Bosch predicts that autonomous driving will achieve long-term market success.
Bosch is providing suitable solutions and expects that sales from its software, sensor technology, high-performance computers, and network components will more than double by the mid-2030s, exceeding €10 billion. Bosch is utilizing AI in autonomous driving for tasks such as visualizing the vehicle's surroundings and route planning.
Thanks to AI, vehicles can anticipate and predict how other road users will behave, calculating the next steps to reach their destination safely. AI not only enhances vehicle safety but also significantly reduces the time required for new product development. For example, Bosch can train systems much more quickly and efficiently by supplying generative AI solutions with unique databases of vehicle sensor data. This lays the groundwork for more reliable driver assistance and autonomous driving capabilities in the future.
In the manufacturing sector, Bosch is already focusing on the next level of AI that can make decisions and perform tasks, known as agentic AI. Bosch board member Tanja Rueckert noted, "Agentic AI can empower AI in a way similar to how smartphones have transformed the internet."
This innovative technology allows various processes to be executed simultaneously. Multiple AI agents can form a multi-agent system under the supervision of a team, which may include humans or coordinating agents. Bosch is already leveraging this potential internally. Multi-agent systems monitor devices in the manufacturing process, predict maintenance requirements, and optimize workforce scheduling. Rueckert said, "We have now reached the next level. The result is a reduction in unexpected downtime and an improvement in overall productivity."
Not only Bosch's factories but also other corporations can utilize Bosch's expertise in agentic AI. Bosch is developing a platform for other corporations that will be available starting in the fall of 2025, aiming to support the setup of their own multi-agent systems with little to no programming knowledge. The goal is to improve manufacturing efficiency, reduce expenses, and respond more flexibly to market demands. Through this comprehensive and coordinated utilization, millions of euros can be saved.
AI serves as a driving force for promoting innovation not only in industrial production and automated mobility but across the entire company. For example, Bosch’s intelligent Revol crib can monitor a child’s vital signs such as heart rate and respiration. In e-bikes, AI helps alleviate concerns regarding range using range control features, while in the kitchen, the Bosch Series 8 oven recognizes around 80 dishes and automatically sets optimal cooking methods and temperatures, effectively acting as a chef. AI also assists in DIY projects, as the wall scanner examines the interior of walls, detecting wires, metal beams, and voids.
Bosch is developing its employees' AI capabilities through its internal AI Academy, where more than 65,000 employees have been trained since 2019. Around 5,000 AI experts are working on intelligent AI solutions. AI capabilities are essential not only for Bosch internally but also for the future external environment. Dr. Hartung remarked, "It is becoming increasingly clear that a society without AI capabilities will fall behind in global competition." According to the Bosch Tech Compass, four out of five global respondents plan to engage in AI training, and about two-thirds support adopting AI as a school subject, indicating that many already recognize AI's importance. In Germany, 72% of respondents believe AI will become the dominant technology in their country over the next decade. Bosch is already well prepared for the dawn of the AI era.
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