Press Release | Gütersloh/Berlin, 09/12/2023

Bertelsmann Focuses on Artificial Intelligence

• AI already plays a major role in many of the company’s businesses
• The Group’s AI experts meet in Berlin, joined virtually by colleagues around the world

Gütersloh / Berlin, September 12, 2023 – Bertelsmann sees great opportunities in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to further improve its diverse business models, to promote innovation, and to increase efficiency across all of the Group’s businesses worldwide. Bertelsmann’s applications of artificial intelligence already range from the automated synchronization of entire TV shows to the tech-driven combination of music and film, from target-group-specific advertising to hybrid live chatbot solutions for serving e-commerce customers, and the use of medical diagnosis apps. Today, for the first time, around 170 AI experts from the international media, services, and education company are meeting in Berlin to share their experience and advance the use of AI. Another 550 AI professionals are virtually connected from all over the world

Rolf Hellermann, Bertelsmann’s Chief Financial Officer and the Executive Board member responsible for Tech & Data, says: “AI is already ubiquitous at Bertelsmann. It will shift the boundaries of our business. It holds enormous potential for innovation, efficiency gains, and product improvements. I look forward to meeting our AI experts and discussing use cases from all the divisions with them. This summit will be all about how we can best collaborate across the Group, harness the latest technological developments, and secure Bertelsmann a competitive edge.”

The topics covered at Bertelsmann’s first “Generative AI Summit” range from technology to partnerships, politics, law, IT security, and HR. The event brings together experts from all parts of the Bertelsmann world to better connect them, jointly identify product solutions, and establish AI tools in the workplace. To put the results of the meeting into practice, Bertelsmann has already established its own “AI Task Force” and developed a Group-wide AI agenda. The event is complemented by contributions from external AI experts, including representatives from Microsoft, Google, Arthur D. Little, Deloitte, Aleph Alpha, and the German Marshall Fund.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 165,000 employees worldwide and generated revenues of €20.2 billion in the 2022 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. Bertelsmann aspires to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.