Do you start your ChatGPT prompts with a friendly greeting? Have you asked for the output in a specific format? Or do you even promise a tip for a particularly good response? Users interact with large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in a variety of ways, including to label their data for machine learning tasks. There are few answers to how small changes to a prompt can affect the accuracy of these labelings.

How do variants of prompts change the output quality?

Abel Salinas, a researcher at the University of Southern California (USC), says: "We rely on these models for so many things and require outputs in certain formats, and we wonder in the back of our minds what the actual effects of variations in prompts or output formats are. That's what we wanted to find out." Salinas and Fred Morstatter, research assistant professor of computer science at USC's Viterbi School of Engineering and leader of the research team at the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), asked themselves the question: how reliable are LLMs' responses to variations in prompts? Their results, published on the preprint server arXiv, show that subtle variations in prompts can have a significant impact on LLMs' predictions.

"Hello, give me a list and I'll tip you a thousand dollars"

The researchers examined four categories of prompt variations. First, they examined the effects of prompting responses in specific output formats commonly used in data processing (lists, CSV, etc.). Second, they examined minor changes to the prompt itself, such as adding extra spaces at the beginning or end of the prompt or inserting polite phrases such as "Thank you" or "Hello!". Thirdly, they investigated the use of "jailbreaks", i.e. techniques to bypass content filters on sensitive topics such as hate speech detection, for example by asking the LLM to respond as if it were evil. Finally, inspired by the popular notion that an LLM will respond better if given the prospect of a reward, they offered different sizes of 'tips' for a 'perfect answer'.

The researchers then tested the prompt variations against 11 benchmark text classification tasks - standardized data sets or problems used in natural language processing (NLP) research to evaluate model performance. These tasks typically involve categorizing or labeling text data based on its content or meaning.

The researchers examined tasks such as toxicity classification, grammar evaluation, humor and sarcasm recognition, math skills and more. For each variation of the prompt, they measured how often the LLM changed its response and what effect this had on the accuracy of the LLM.

Does saying "Hello!" influence the answers? Yes!

The results of the study brought to light a remarkable phenomenon: slight changes in the structure and presentation of the prompt can significantly affect the predictions of the LLM. Whether it is the addition or omission of spaces, punctuation, or specific data output formats, each variation plays a crucial role in shaping model performance. In addition, certain prompt strategies, such as incentives or specific greetings, showed marginal improvements in accuracy, highlighting the nuanced relationship between prompt design and model behavior.

The following results were remarkable:

• Just by adding a specific output format, the researchers found that at least 10 % of the predictions changed.
• Minor disturbances to the prompt have a smaller impact than the output format, but still result in a significant number of altered predictions. For example, inserting a space at the beginning or end of a prompt resulted in more than 500 (out of 11,000) prediction changes. Similar effects were observed when common greetings were added or ended with "thank you".
• The use of jailbreaks in the tasks resulted in a much larger proportion of changes, but was highly dependent on which jailbreak was used.

Tips for ChatGPT? Hardly any influence on performance...

In 11 tasks, the researchers found different levels of accuracy for each prompting variant. They found that no single formatting or perturbation method was suitable for all tasks. Remarkably, the "no specified format" variant achieved the highest overall accuracy, outperforming the other variants by a full percentage point.

Salinas: "We have found that there are some formats or variations that lead to poorer accuracy. For certain applications, very high accuracy is crucial, so this could be helpful. For example, if you format in an older format called XML, that leads to a few percentage points lower accuracy."

As for tipping, only minimal changes in performance were observed. The researchers found that adding "I don't tip, by the way" or "I tip $1,000 for a perfect answer!" (or anything in between) had no significant effect on the accuracy of responses. However, experimentation with jailbreaks showed that even seemingly harmless jailbreaks can lead to a significant loss of accuracy.

Possible explanations for the behavior of LLMs

Why LLMs behave differently is unclear, but the researchers have some ideas. They hypothesize that the instances that change the most are the things that are most "confusing" to the LLM. To measure confusion, they looked at a specific subset of tasks on which the human annotators disagreed (i.e., the human annotators may have found the task confusing, so perhaps the model did too). The researchers found a correlation suggesting that instance confusion has some explanatory power for why the prediction changes, but it is not strong enough on its own. There may be other factors at play, the researchers hypothesized.

Salinas suspects that one factor could be the relationship between the inputs used to train the LLM and the subsequent behavior. "In some online forums, it makes sense for someone to add a greeting, such as on Quora, an American knowledge-sharing platform. There it is common to start with 'hello' or add a 'thank you'." These conversational elements could influence the learning process of the models. If greetings are frequently associated with information on platforms such as Quora, a model might learn to favor such sources and potentially bias its responses based on Quora's information about that particular task. This observation points to the complexity with which the model ingests and interprets information from different online sources.

Practical tip: Keep it simple for best accuracy

An important next step for the research community as a whole would be to create LLMs that can withstand these changes and provide consistent responses in the face of formatting changes, glitches and jailbreaks. To achieve this goal, a better understanding of why responses change is needed in the future.

Salinas gives the following tip for prompting in Chat GPT: "Our simplest observation is that the simplest possible prompts seem to deliver the best results overall."

Source: Techexplore.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/wie-bei-chatgpt-die-eigene-wortwahl-die-qualitaet-von-antworten-beeinflusst/

Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence, but the next technology of the future is already in the starting blocks. "While all eyes are currently on artificial intelligence, the next technology revolution is already in the pipeline with quantum computing," explains Harald A. Summa, Chairman of the Quantum Leap initiative of the Diplomatic Council, a think tank with advisory status at the United Nations. "It is high time for operators of data centers, cloud services and messaging services in particular to integrate quantum technology," adds quantum technology expert Matthias Reidans from Rosenberger-OSI (Optical Solutions & Infrastructure), which is involved in the initiative. 

AI plus quantum technology will provide a performance boost

Harald A. Summa explains: "Quantum technology is rapidly emerging from research and development laboratories and penetrating the economy. As with AI, all sectors will be affected by this sooner or later. The combination of AI and quantum computing will result in performance boosts that are still difficult to imagine today, some of whose effects can only be guessed at."

Quantum technology works with charge patterns of ions or photons that can simultaneously "process" changes of state in the sense of programming. Microwaves or lasers are used to encode so-called "qubits" as the smallest units of information. This functional principle enables quantum computers to perform a large number of calculations simultaneously, which leads to an exponential acceleration of computing power far beyond the performance level of conventional computers.

Quantum-resistant data encryption urgently needed

According to the initiative, the area most affected by quantum technology in the short term is data encryption across all sectors. The reason: quantum computers are capable of cracking conventional encryption within a very short time. This would open up the databases of companies and government organizations to cyber criminals and intelligence services in one fell swoop. "Cyber gangs are already capturing huge amounts of encrypted data online in the expectation of being able to decrypt it in a few years or even months," says quantum technology expert Matthias Reidans. 

"Every data center is well advised to offer its customers quantum-resistant encryption as quickly as possible," explains Harald A. Summa. According to him, this also affects data transmission for messaging services, for example. He points out that Apple has already developed so-called post-quantum encryption for its iMessage service. The Quantum Leap boss points to the possibility of photon-based key distribution via satellite: "It is conceivable that billions of keys could be distributed via satellites in the future to ensure the security of the quantum world." In the next few years, hundreds of satellites equipped with photon transmission modules will reach orbit. 

Quantum as a Service

The operators of data centers and cloud services should also react quickly to the new challenge, warns Harald A. Summa. He explains: "Data centers will be the home of quantum computing. In the first step, quantum computers will not be installed everywhere, but the majority of quantum power will be obtained from the cloud, i.e. data centers." Matthias Reidans adds: "It's about upgrading high-performance data centers with quantum computer modules."

Harald A. Summa outlines the future: "Quantum computers will act as a kind of turbocharger for existing high-performance computer-specific applications and unleash further innovative power, particularly in generative AI. As quantum as a service, they will be available in the cloud to a wide range of users."

The new Quantum Leap initiative in the Diplomatic Council therefore offers data center operators the opportunity to exchange ideas in a pre-competitive circle about which steps make sense in order to prepare for quantum technology, says Chairman Harald A. Summa, explaining the think tank's advance.

Quantum computers are useful from 1,000 qubits upwards

According to Quantum Leap, it is currently difficult to estimate how quickly this innovation cycle will gain relevance. According to Matthias Reidans, this point in time is imminent. He points to developments at European manufacturers such as IQM, AQT and eleqtron, some of which are already able to supply stable, high-performance quantum computers at affordable prices, and to further technological breakthroughs in the USA, China and Canada. "Quantum computers reach their decisive performance level from around 1,000 functional, i.e. logical and controllable, qubits," says the Rosenberger OSI expert. He adds: "The first devices of this kind can be expected this year or next."

The expert vehemently disagrees with the preconception that quantum computers require extremely cold environments to operate. He says: "You can already buy quantum computers that work at room temperature. They can be operated in ordinary data centers in the 19-inch format that is common there." Matthias Reidans points to the companies Alpine Quantum Technologies (AQT) from Innsbruck and the German-Austrian start-up Quantum Brillance as examples, both of which are pursuing the approach of enabling integration-uncomplicated implementations. The quantum technology expert is also aware that standardization efforts in this area are underway worldwide.

Quantum sensor technology in medicine

It is important to Harald A. Summa to emphasize that quantum technology means much more than "just" dealing with quantum computers. This technology also enables a quantum leap in sensor technology in the truest sense of the word. For example, the computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods commonly used today to look inside the human body could be replaced in future by quantum sensor methods, which would enable a much better and therefore more meaningful image.

Source and wFurther information: www.diplomatic-council.org/quantumleap

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/experten-sehen-quantentechnologie-auf-dem-vormarsch/

There is also a lot going on in the Swiss market this year. This is shown in the current issue of BrandAsset Valuator (BAV) . The world's largest brand study is conducted annually in Switzerland by the WPP agencies Wunderman Thompson, Ogilvy and Scholz & Friends Zurich. It examines how the Swiss perceive different brands.

Google is at the top of the list of the strongest brands for the third time in a row, despite waves of redundancies and discussions about data protection. However, there is a lot going on in the ranks behind it: several food brands are able to move up strongly in the rankings: Ricola (+17 ranks), Zweifel (+12 ranks) and Lindt (+4). Nespresso also rose by 21 places and the cheese icons Appenzeller and Le Gruyère by as much as +67 and +14 places respectively. It could be that the increased trend towards cocooning in times of crisis is helping "comfort brands" from the food sector in particular to achieve success.

The toy brand Lego also made strong gains (+11), as did Kärcher, Mastercard and Dyson, which are new to the top 20. These are also brands that are increasingly used at home or for online shopping from home. Digital brands such as Microsoft (-5), Apple
(-10) and Samsung (-19), which were among the winners in the previous year, are clearly slipping this year. The reason for this is unclear.

Published for the first time: The brands that Switzerland trusts

The strength of a brand in the BAV is determined by two dimensions: brand vitality and brand stature. While brand vitality primarily indicates how strongly a brand differentiates itself in the market, brand stature provides insights into the trust placed in a brand. It is well known that the trust placed in a brand can contribute significantly to its preferred use - especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. This is why we are also publishing the top 10 brands with the highest brand stature for the first time in 2024.

The findings from this list confirm the mega-trend towards cocooning. It is even clearer here than in the overall ranking that brands that stand for personal well-being and a family-like sense of community are particularly highly regarded. The brands with the highest stature, above all Zweifel, Ovomaltine and Lindt, are classic "feel-good" brands that promise a sense of security and satisfaction. However, the origin of a brand also creates trust: in the current evaluation, we see that "Swissness" appears to be an important factor for brand stature. Seven of the top 10 brands with the highest stature come from Switzerland.

Swiss brands dominate the "Most Loved Brands" again

Local brands also dominate the ranking of Switzerland's "Most Loved Brands". With the exception of WhatsApp, the top 10 consists exclusively of local brands, including five pure food brands. This is in line with the findings from the previous year, when Swiss brands also performed very well. Lindt is currently up five places, securing the top position, followed by Twint, Ragusa, Le Gruyère and WhatsApp. While Migros took first place last year, this year the retailer dropped to sixth place, followed by the Cumulus Card and Coop. Ovomaltine and Raclette Suisse complete the top 10 of the Love Ranking. Once again, the way into the hearts of the Swiss is through their stomachs: with the exception of WhatApp, all the brands represented here have something to do with food in the broadest sense.

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Responsible at Wunderman Thompson: Peter Petermann (Head of Strategy), Giselle Vaugne (Chief Operating Officer and Co-CEO, overall responsibility), Swen Morath (Chief Creative Officer and Co-CEO, overall responsibility). Responsible at Ogilvy: Matthias Müller (Head of Strategy), Martin Keller (CEO). Responsible at Scholz & Friends Zurich: Susi Miller (Strategy Director), Mathias Rösch (CEO).

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The BAV is the largest and most comprehensive brand study worldwide. The study has been conducted in Switzerland since 1995. Since 2022, the study has been conducted in annual waves by the WPP agencies Wunderman Thompson, Ogilvy and Scholz & Friends Zurich. In the current wave, 9,600 Swiss people aged 18-74 were asked about their brand preferences. The number of brands surveyed this year is 600. The study is representative of the Internet population in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland according to Switzerland's official structural data. The survey period was from 31.08. - 14.10.2023.

 

Sustainability is an integral part of the corporate culture at the Hochweid retirement center. A visible indication of this is the garden around the center: a colorful variety of flowers and shrubs bloom throughout the season. The investment in a solar power system is also evidence of this. "We have been committed to ecological and social responsibility for years in order to shape a sustainable future. We have consciously anchored this in our mission statement. I would like to thank the whole team for this special achievement. We are delighted with the certification," explains Managing Director Sara Tomaschett. Foundation Board President Prof. Dr. med. Michele Genoni adds: "Serious, sustainable certification and the adaptation of many processes does not happen overnight. This certification for sustainability is therefore a milestone for our retirement home." Ruth Stamm, Head of Hospitality, uses an example from the purchasing policy to explain how the new findings are incorporated into everyday life. For example, when making new purchases, contact is always sought with regional producers and suppliers, always on the basis that "We are here for the wishes of the people who live here!".

The Hochweid Retirement Center sees itself as a provider of suitable forms of housing and needs-based services for older people. It is committed to providing professionally qualified care and nursing for the elderly, in particular palliative care and dementia care. The retirement center offers space for 48 people in need of care, as well as 52 apartments in the retirement home. 

Sensitization over several years

Ruth Stamm played a key role in putting sustainability into practice: she was responsible for the hotel and infrastructure division for 27 years until her retirement at the end of March 2024. "When I set myself the goal of actively promoting the conscious use of resources a good seven years ago, I didn't yet meet with an open ear," says Stamm. She wasn't just thinking about saving water, electricity and heat, but also about people as a resource. After all, it is the residents, staff and management, right up to the Board of Trustees, who can exert influence through their daily actions. By setting a consistent example and regularly questioning established habits, Stamm has managed to sensitize a large part of the team and motivate them to actively participate and think outside the box. "At the beginning, I didn't see any added value in the efforts. But now I too have become an ambassador for sustainability in practice," says Sara Tomaschett, Managing Director of AZ Hochweid. 

How ibexFairstay works

The ibexFairstay team of auditors is made up of independent experts who are at home in the accommodation industry. The accredited auditor checked the data submitted on paper and on site at the Hochweid retirement center according to the six-eyes principle "operation - auditor - certification committee" by conducting various interviews, taking tours of the building and then drawing up a final report. He handed this over to the certification committee with the award result. This is made up of experts from the fields of science, business and tourism. The committee examines the auditor's application and decides on the award and the award result. After three years, the information is reviewed with a recertification. Ibex fairstay is a label to which 60 hotels in Switzerland are currently affiliated. The Swiss certificate audits according to the so-called ISO environmental label type 1 and places great value on the aspects of regionality, authenticity and the preservation of an intact natural environment.

From additional costs to savings

Such certification is a major challenge for a company. It requires additional time, money and personnel. "The bottom line is that the results of the certifications prove that sustainable cost and resource savings can actually be achieved by examining and optimizing processes. In addition, the marketing measures with the ibex fairstay brand make a major contribution to differentiating the individual establishment in the market. The retirement home has proved to be a real gem where the concept of sustainability is alive and well," explains Anita Gschwind, Managing Director of "ibex fairstay".

Source: Hochweid retirement center

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/einziges-schweizer-alters-und-pflegeheim-wird-fuer-nachhaltigkeit-zertifiziert/

On Tuesday, Wemf AG für Werbemedienforschung will publish the current readership figures and online reach of press titles in the form of the MACH Basic reach study and the MACH Total Audience intermedia study. These semi-annual studies on media usage in Switzerland provide crucial information for the media and advertising market. It is therefore high time to brush up on the marketing and media research glossary and re-familiarize yourself with the most important basic terms.

Affinity

Indicator that expresses the suitability of a medium to reach a ➝ target group. Ratio of reach in the target group to total reach multiplied by 100 (indexed). Affinities above 100 indicate an above-average suitability of a title for the target group in question; below 100 indicates a below-average suitability. Affinity index = reach in % in the target group × 100 / total reach in %. The higher the index, the better the media performance of a title in the relevant target group.

BRS

Broadest Readership refers to the number of people who have held a print title in their hands to read or leaf through it in the last six months.

BUS

Broadest Usership shows how many people have visited a movie theater at least rarely or used the Internet, a website, TV or radio at least rarely.

CATI

Computer Assisted Telephone Interview is a telephone interview in which the interviewee is guided through the interview with computer support.

CAWI

Computer Assisted Web Interview. This means that the interviews take place directly on a computer screen. The interviewee fills out an interactive online questionnaire.

cRR

Calculated Recent Readership indicates the readership of an average issue. It is calculated on the basis of the usage frequencies recorded in the ➝ MACH Basic survey and the time of last use of a print title. The reach cRR can be used to calculate media plans.

Double reader

Indicates the overlap between the readership of two or more titles. Due to the double readership (➝ external overlap), the net reach is reduced compared to the gross reach.

Average contact

The gross reach of a media plan is generally greater than its net reach. The average contact / opportunity to see (OTS) indicates the relationship between the gross and net reach of a media plan. The formula is: OTS = gross reach (contact total) of a media plan / net reach of a media plan. The OTS shows the number of average contacts per person reached.

External overlap

Indicates the overlap between the readerships of two or more titles. The external overlap reduces the net reach compared to the gross reach and leads to a higher ➝ average contact.

Frequency question

Question relating to the proportion of issues of a title that are normally read or leafed through.

Complete edition GES

Newspapers with front pages or partial editions that appear on the reader market under different title designations.

GRP

Gross rating point is a performance indicator of a media plan. It shows the advertising impact of the plan. The GRP corresponds to the net reach in percentage points, multiplied by the average contact of the campaign, and can be specified for different target groups. The formula is: GRP = net reach in % × ➝ average contact.

Heavy user

Normally read every or almost every issue of a title. ➝ Medium user and ➝ Light user.

Impact

Effect and success of communication measures, overall impression (e.g. of an advertisement).

Internal overlap

If several editions of the same title are used, parts of the readership are reached several times. ➝ External overlap.

Contact distribution

Indicates how many people in a defined target group come into contact with all advertising media selected in the distribution plan and how often. In contrast to the OTS value, which shows the average number of contacts per target person reached, the contact distribution shows how the contact probabilities are distributed across all persons reached in the advertising target group.

Cross table

Tabular representation of two or more variables with their values. ➝ NEXT>LEVEL.

Light User

Usually read less than half of the issues of a title. ➝ Medium users and ➝ Heavy users.

Reading time per issue

This value indicates how long an issue is read on average before it is finally put away.

Reading quantity per issue

This value indicates how much of the content of an issue (= all pages) is read on average. For example, the specification "Reading quantity = 0.8" means that on average 80% of all pages in an issue of a title are read by its readership. The reading quantity is a net value.

LpE

Readers per copy is calculated by dividing the total readership of an issue of a title by the circulation of this title that reaches the reader market. The formula is: LpE = reach or readers of the title / circulation of the title (copies). The English term RpC (Readers per Copy) is also used as LpE.

MACH Basic

The national readership study in Switzerland. Provides the Swiss advertising market with the official reach of Swiss newspapers and magazines (individual titles, ➝ total editions and title combinations). Representative sample of approx. 30,000 people per publication. ➝ The population of the sample consists of all residents of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein aged ≥ 14 who live in private households. Publication: twice a year (April and October).

Medium User

Usually read about half of the issues of a title. ➝ Heavy users and ➝ Light users.

NEXT>LEVEL

The WEMF's own data analysis tool for accessing WEMF studies, statistics and databases as well as other third-party studies.

Non-Replica

Digital edition of a title that differs from the printed edition in terms of editorial content, advertisements, layout or format. ➝ Replica.

OTS

The gross reach of a media plan is generally greater than its net reach. The average contact - opportunity to see (OTS) - indicates the relationship between the gross and net reach of a media plan. The formula is: OTS = gross reach (contact total) of a media plan / net reach of a media plan. The OTS shows the number of average contacts per person reached.

Pick-ups per issue

This value indicates the average number of times an issue of a particular title is picked up for reading / leafing through by its readership before it is finally put away. As print titles are relatively long-lived, the same issue of a title X normally has several acts of use, in contrast to programs or advertising spots in the "fleeting" electronic media Y. This contact-qualifying information can only be calculated for titles that have a sufficiently large ➝ BRS.

Projection

Extrapolation of the sample to the population. The total readership is extrapolated from the relevant sample range to the population. This is normally rounded to 1000 readers.

Quantitative market and media research

Data collection using standardized research methods to ensure that the results are statistically ➝ representative.

Replica

Digital editions in the form of replicas are the immaterially transmitted main editions of a title that correspond to the printed version in all details of content, layout (including placement of advertisements) and publication method. Digital editions in the form of replicas can be enriched with films, photo galleries, music or additional text elements. The terms "replica" and "e-paper" are understood as synonyms.

Representativeness

Each element of the population has the same chance of being selected (assumption from probability theory). In the case of random sampling, a ➝ confidence interval can be specified on the basis of the number of samples. If the sample size is large enough, the selected subset represents a smaller but true-to-life image of the population.

RUS

Regular usership is a common denominator in relation to the use of different media types, which is necessary for a large-scale comparison of intermedia. Reach values are not suitable for this, as they are collected and defined differently for each media category. The MACH Strategy therefore uses "RUS - Regular Usership" as the basis for all calculations for the intermedia comparison. This is defined analogously for each medium, regardless of whether it is an electronic or a print medium: In each case, it refers to the group of people who regularly use a medium.

Significance

Statistical certainty. ➝ Confidence interval.

CPM

The thousand-contact price is a key figure for assessing the relationship between the advertising costs (e.g. of a media plan) and the size of the gross readership reached with the media plan (= total contacts). The formula is: CPM = advertising media costs / gross reach in thousands of contacts.

Area of trust

A random sample cannot provide exact information about the ➝ population under investigation; the results obtained from a sample are only valid for the population within a certain confidence interval. The (calculable) confidence interval depends on two variables: the sample size and the response distribution. The following applies: the larger the sample, the smaller the confidence interval. And: the greater the difference between the affirmative and negative answers, the smaller the confidence interval.

WLK

Widest readership. ➝ BRS (Broadest Readership).

Target group

Target group of people who are to be specifically addressed with a communicative measure. The target group is usually defined according to socio-demographic characteristics, consumer / purchasing behavior and psychographic criteria.

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About acronyms

The media and advertising industry is teeming with cryptic acronyms. Unfortunately, many of them are not self-explanatory. And the ones you learned during your specialist training are often already outdated - or have simply been forgotten. The Glossary of the Wemf offers a little help in this regard.

Jason Momoa is known for his roles in Aquaman, Game of Thrones and Dune. The collaboration was launched because the actor, with his interests in photography, travel and adventure, embodies the lifestyle that Nuii stands for. The brand name is inspired by the word "Nui", which means "big, rich, great" in Hawaiian and Māori. In his role as brand ambassador, Momoa will help to increase awareness and growth of Nuii Ice Cream Adventure in Europe.

Momoa invites you on an adventure

Nuii is aimed at anyone who dreams of exploring exotic countries and immersing themselves in foreign cultures. In the campaign, Momoa brings the brand message "Choose your next adventure" to life and asks viewers: "Do you fancy an adventure?" as he strolls along a beach and bites into a Nuii ice cream.

"Jason Momoa's passion for travel, adventure and the environment fits perfectly with our brand mission. Our goal is to take people on a taste journey with our cream ice cream, to a place a little wilder and more exciting than their everyday lives. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership offers and look forward to what we will create together," says Roger Marquart, Senior Brand Manager of the Nuii brand, Froneri Switzerland.

Large-scale campaign starts on Monday

The Momoa campaign will be shown in 14 European countries as TV, poster, print and digital advertising and will be accompanied by comprehensive social media and PR measures.

The digital moving image campaign with the TV commercial launches in Switzerland on Monday. Fans can follow the collaboration with Jason Momoa at @nuii_icecream_global on Instagram or @nuii_icecream on Tik Tok.

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Responsible agency: Toast (responsibility, production). Directed by: Antoine Janssens. Media: Mediaplus Suisse, House of Communication.

Over the last 12 months, the cyber landscape has changed significantly, particularly as a result of artificial intelligence (AI). It is now being used in both cyberattacks and protection solutions. As a result, companies need to adapt their security strategies and architectures. The Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index 2024 has determined the extent to which companies are up to these new challenges. Based on more than 8,000 expert surveys worldwide, companies were divided into four maturity levels: Beginner (Beginner), Formative (Formative), Advanced (Progressive) and Mature (Mature). 205 respondents also came from Switzerland. The respondents are responsible for business and cyber security in their companies and gave self-assessments on the status of their company's defense capabilities and the technology used. The survey was conducted in January and February 2024 using online interviews.

Swiss companies overestimate their defensive capabilities

The new study suggests that Swiss companies overestimate their own ability to protect themselves against current threats or underestimate the cyber threat situation. The results show that only 1.95% of Swiss companies have a sufficiently mature security structure to be optimally prepared for current threats. A year ago, the figure was 9 percent. If you cluster the two highest maturity levels "Mature" and "Progressive", Swiss companies rank third in Europe behind the UK and Germany with 24%. Nevertheless, 81% of companies in Switzerland are moderately to very confident that they can fend off a cyberattack with their current infrastructure.

Unsurprisingly, readiness also correlates with the size of an organization, as more budget and personnel can be allocated to cybersecurity. Companies with more than 1,000 employees have a higher level of maturity, while medium-sized companies (250-1,000 employees) are slightly behind. This applies worldwide and across all industries. The study found that the best-prepared sectors are financial services, technology and manufacturing - all with 30 % or more in the upper "Mature" and "Progressive" categories. The education sector, for example, still has some catching up to do.

The importance of securing IT systems is also shown by the figures from the Federal Office for Cyber Security (BACS). Reports of cyber incidents are trending upwards. "There is an urgent need for companies to rethink their security strategies and adapt to the reality of today's cyber threats," says Roman Stefanov, Head of Cyber Security Sales at Cisco Switzerland. According to the study, 45 percent of Swiss companies surveyed have experienced a cyberattack in the last 12 months.

Switzerland on the right track with AI

"An encouraging sign for Switzerland is the high use of AI for cyber defense," explains Roman Stefanov. "Almost 40 percent already use systems based on it with the highest or second-highest level of maturity." The protection of networks and machines is satisfactory at 32% and 26% respectively. However, there is a lot of catching up to do in the areas of identity and cloud. Only 18% and 14% of Swiss companies respectively have an adequate level of protection in these areas.

Swiss companies also cite the protection of corporate identities as the biggest challenge (39%), ahead of network protection (30%). "More than a third of Swiss companies have noticed a cybersecurity incident involving stolen digital identities in the last year," explains Roman Stefanov. "In this threat situation, we should no longer ask whether a user can have access, but whether they should."

Two thirds believe in a cyberattack in the next 12 to 24 months

According to the study, 66 percent of companies surveyed believe that a cyberattack will affect their business in the next 12 to 24 months. Despite these concerns, 51 percent of companies say they have more than 10 open cyber security positions, indicating an acute skills shortage. The cost of incidents is notable, with 45 percent of respondents stating that past incidents have cost more than $500,000.

The good news is that companies have increased their security budgets and want to increase them even further. This is because they recognize an increase in risks due to digitalization, more diverse types of attacks and greater financial impact: 86 percent of respondents stated that they have increased their budget in the last 1-2 years, and almost 80 percent want to increase their budget by more than 10 percent in the future. 92 percent plan to upgrade or even restructure their IT infrastructure to counter the upcoming cyber security challenges.

Source: Cisco

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/nur-2-der-schweizer-firmen-auf-cyberbedrohungen-optimal-vorbereitet/

Even if demand is falling and cost pressure is increasing, manufacturers should not put planned projects on hold. After all, new technologies in particular can help during the crisis and the time afterwards. At least that's the belief at software and hardware manufacturer Oracle, which has outlined six ways in which companies can get through the crisis.  

1. digitization and data analytics 

The digitalization of production, procurement, supply chain and manufacturing processes is creating smart factories that are further accelerated by the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The basic idea: analyzing large amounts of data improves decision-making. According to a Survey by Deloitte in 2013, 60 percent of managers were already using analysis software, often with AI functions, to identify component bottlenecks in good time, optimize delivery routes, reduce fuel consumption and shorten delivery times. 

2. reduction of supply chain risks 

Geopolitical and trade tensions are prompting more and more companies to look for lower-risk suppliers. According to a Study by BCI Global more than 60 percent of European and US manufacturers are planning to relocate some of their activities to Asia in the coming years. Some EU companies also have their sights set on the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary - others on Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

Modern supply chain technologies can also help to reduce supply chain risks. Better insights into workflows, schedules and capacities, fleets and distribution warehouses, as well as real-time status updates, enable companies to quickly identify and resolve bottlenecks. ML capabilities highlight anomalies and potential impacts. In a Study by KPMG  67 percent of CEOs stated that they want to invest more in data-driven technologies. 

3. smart manufacturing 

Manufacturers are using Industry 4.0 technologies to optimize production processes, improve product quality and automate maintenance. Typical examples include drones that detect structural damage to factory equipment, robots and cobots as well as cloud applications for automated demand planning. Digital twins simulate the effects of fluctuations in supply and demand on assembly line production. Augmented reality (AR) speeds up repairs and 3D printing enables the production of missing spare parts. Driverless vehicles deliver components to the assembly lines via the 5G network. Intelligent warehouses monitor stock levels and independently request parts.  

According to ABI Research global spending on automation technologies will increase from 345 billion US dollars in 2021 to over 950 billion US dollars in 2030. Automotive manufacturers in particular are investing in solutions to reduce labor costs and increase safety and productivity. In 2022, the automotive industry will account for more than half of robot sales. Overall, the global market for industrial robots is expected to grow by Grand View Research will grow by an average of 10.5 percent per year until 2030. 

4. qualified tech specialists 

The manufacturing industry is also affected by the shortage of skilled workers. There is a shortage of assembly line workers, welders, machine operators, industrial mechanics and production managers. Due to the increased use of new technologies, the industry also needs specialists in the fields of robotics, programming, integration of intelligent systems, prototyping and cyber security as well as data scientists.  

Real-time information is the prerequisite for the digital networking of all employees. So-called Connected Frontline Workforce (CFW) applications can alleviate the shortage of skilled workers. Training and further education is also important - for example, the European Commission's workshops, which are specifically aimed at the manufacturing industry. And recruiting applications in the cloud make it easier to fill technical positions in highly competitive markets. 

5. anything-as-a-service 

More and more companies are offering their products or their ongoing maintenance, monitoring or installation as a service. A manufacturer of welding robots, for example, takes on a certain number of welding jobs for a fee instead of selling its robots. This revenue is easier to plan than sales revenue. Anything/Everything-as-a-Service also offers additional cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Analyses from Accenture According to the company, this model can increase sales by 15 to 20 percent annually. According to Fortune Business Insights from USD 545.35 billion in 2022 to more than USD 2.3 trillion in 2029.  

More and more car manufacturers are also opting for the subscription model and offering registration, taxes, insurance, breakdown assistance and maintenance as services. According to Global Market Insights the global Vehicle-as-a-Service market is expected to grow to 30 billion US dollars by 2030.  

6. sustainability 

A quarter to a third of the world's energy is used for manufacturing processes. Manufacturers' supply chains in particular have a negative impact on the environment - for example during the extraction, production, transportation and storage of raw materials. The industry is under massive pressure to become more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Most companies are aware of this, as a survey by Harris Poll shows. According to the survey, 56% are taking measures to operate more sustainably - the highest proportion of all industries surveyed. 

New tools are also being used. Blockchain, for example, makes it easier to trace materials and goods. Automation and monitoring solutions provide detailed insights into production processes, supply chains and energy consumption. This helps manufacturers to increase their productivity and identify potential savings. 

Conclusion: Do not forego investments in a weak economy

"Even a weakening economy shouldn't stop companies from investing in new technologies," explains Martin Cereceda, Senior Business Development Manager Manufacturing & Automotive at Oracle. "On the contrary: those who digitize, automate and take an environmentally friendly approach will gain a competitive advantage - in the form of efficient business processes, innovations and long-term cost reductions." 

Source: Oracle

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/fertigung-sechs-investitionen-die-sich-in-krisenzeiten-rechnen/

Chat GPT's AI tools are becoming increasingly popular, not only among private individuals but also in companies. The practical benefits of AI-supported office work are becoming increasingly apparent. However, AI services for image processing and translation as well as chatbots are also an attractive target for cybercriminals, as an analysis by Kaspersky experts shows. According to a recent analysis, the number of compromised account information for the services of chatGPT developer OpenAI increased more than thirtyfold compared to 2022.

ChatGPT a popular target for data thieves

Specifically, stolen logins for the services of ChatGPT developer OpenAI jumped to around 664,000 in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a total of almost 688,000 in the study period from 2021 to 2023. After the launch of the fourth version of ChatGPT in March 2023, the demand for corresponding accounts was particularly high, since then it has matched that of other AI services. In addition, around 1.2 million Canva user credentials were stolen in the three years and distributed on darknet forums and Telegram channels. Grammarly recorded around 839,000 compromised credentials in the same period.

"The compromised credentials come from Infostealer activity, a specific type of malware that steals user credentials for cyberattacks, darknet sales or other malicious activities. Infostealers can infect corporate devices via phishing emails or websites and public websites with malicious content, among other things," explains Yuliya Novikova, Head of Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence. "We expect the demand for ChatGPT accounts to continue. Effective enterprise security solutions that protect against Infostealer attacks and other malware are becoming increasingly important. For example, our software monitors compromised accounts on the darknet and notifies companies if users of their online services have been compromised."

Recommendations for risk minimization

Kaspersky's experts make various recommendations on how to minimize the risk in the event of data leaks:

• Continuously monitor the darknet for posts about data leaks. For this purpose, Kaspersky has developed a detailed guide created.
• The so-called. Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence to gain an attacker's view of corporate resources and identify potential attack vectors.
• Use a unique password for each service to minimize the impact of account theft.
• In the event of a data leak to dedicated incident response services such as Kaspersky Incident Response Service to be able to act quickly and effectively and minimize the consequences. Such services help to identify compromised accounts and protect the infrastructure from similar attacks in the future.

Source and further information: Kaspersky

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/account-informationen-von-chat-gpt-im-darknet-gefunden/

Legartis, which operates in the DACH region, has developed an award-winning legal AI solution for the automation of contract reviews and the automated extraction of data from thousands of contracts. Legal departments, sales organizations and purchasing teams can use Legartis' artificial intelligence to seamlessly analyze incoming contracts. The construction and real estate service provider Implenia is now also relying on this solution: the two companies are working together in several areas. As part of a co-development, a specialized AI module is being jointly developed to speed up the review time of comprehensive contracts in the construction industry. In future, this should enable an automated and AI-supported construction contract review tailored to the industry.

Legartis' technology is changing the way Implenia performs its contract review tasks, according to the statement. It supports the Group's leading position in the digital transformation of the construction industry. "The partnership with Legartis is a signal to the construction industry that AI and legal departments are a good match. For us, the use of AI in the legal sector is an important step in our digitalization strategy and in increasing efficiency," says Dr. German Grüniger, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer at Implenia. Dr. Michael Burkart, Global Head Legal Operations & Strategy at Implenia adds: "By using Legartis' Legal AI technology, we expect improved management of contractual risks, greater standardization and a significant reduction in the workload of our legal experts."

David A. Bloch, CEO of Legartis, sees major benefits for the construction industry in the collaboration. "We are very happy about the co-development and partnership with Implenia. Implenia's industry-specific expertise will flow into the training of our AI. These are ideal conditions for developing a powerful industry solution for AI-assisted construction contract review." The collaboration between Legartis and Implenia underlines the commitment of both companies to exploit the possibilities of innovative digital technologies and to establish themselves as pioneers in the use of AI in the field of law in the construction industry, according to a press release.

Sources and further information: www.legartis.ai/de and implenia.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/ki-partnerschaft-fuer-vertragspruefungen-in-der-baubranche/

The acronym seems to be something of a statement against the ubiquitous publicity of messages. After just over 20 years of social media, have we really all had enough of knowing everything about everyone?

The two letters now stand for Direct Message. Instead of 1-to-all, it is now suddenly 1-to-1 again. DMs are therefore a kind of 1-to-1 dialog. Although it is often more of a monologue than a dialog, but more on that later. DMs allow people on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or X to write to each other directly. This has advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage: DM is a good solution for not having to tell everyone everything (but also not having to read everything). How often have we been annoyed at having to listen - or rather "read" - to two people when they were having a debate on social media for all to see, exchanging feelings or simply looking for a date together? Exactly. That's why DMs are now booming.

But beware: this also has its pitfalls. Or disadvantages. For example, the possibility of posting unsolicited opinions in camera. This can be quite a burden for the recipients of such messages. Especially when it comes to harassment, haters, chat-up lines or other undesirable things. There is even a verb for this: sliden. Which translates to slide or glide. "Sliding into the DMs" means writing a private message, usually a chat-up line, to someone on a social network. And these are often inappropriate and a real nuisance, especially for female social media users. But hateful comments towards politicians and other people in public office, such as teachers and tax officials, as well as journalists, dissidents and people from other backgrounds, are unfortunately also part of everyday DM life on social media.

All decency seems to be lost in DMs

The ability to send DMs seems to have completely removed the inhibition threshold. Disrespectful, foul-mouthed and insulting comments slip so easily from the smartphone keyboard into private chats that you could be forgiven for thinking that there is only one type of person on social media: the antisocial. And if this continues, we should think about renaming it: antisocial media.

It's true! Just because it's possible to send someone a direct message with one click doesn't make it an invitation or even an obligation to do so. But this is probably a phenomenon of the times. Or as Erich Kästner once put it: Bad times. Bad manners.

In the past, people didn't call complete strangers just because their name was first available in the phone book and then later on Telsearch. Here's a call to all those who do this: Stop sending direct messages! Instead, face the public. Or don't do it at all. Nobody cares what you think.

But we've been at this point before in the industry. When DMs were still called direct mails and the term "mail" still meant physical mail and not emails. That was the time when advertising agencies specialized in sending direct mail addressed directly to people. In the 1960s, the addresses of us mere mortals were compiled by hand from telephone directories in specialized companies and then sold directly to companies or direct mailing agencies at a high price. Then came lettershops and later direct marketing providers who earned a fortune, until finally the first "no advertising" stickers on letterboxes tried to prevent such DMs from ending up in them.

Perhaps we should also remember this on social media and put "No DMs" stickers on our profiles to keep uninvited guests away from the direct message box. Or to put it another way: be nice to each other again. Knock on the door and ask if you can come in at all before entering the social media room of strangers.

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* Benno Maggi is co-founder and CEO of Partner & Partner. He has been eavesdropping on the industry for over 30 years, discovering words and terms for us that can either be used for small talk, pomposity, excitement, playing Scrabble, or just because.

The agency FS Parker and the production company Halioua Film/Midpoint normally work together on projects for brands such as Raiffeisen and Siemens. This time, however, the roles were swapped: FS Parker conceived and designed the new branding so that there are coordinated elements in which the work of the film production is the absolute focus.

In movie jargon, "midpoint" means the key moment that brings about major changes, new protagonists and a breath of fresh air in the plot, thus opening up the next act. The branding should also convey this.

"Our goal was to create branding that, despite its simplicity, would leave a lasting impression," explains Benjamin Franz, Creative Director at FS Parker. "Our focus was always on keeping Midpoint's great work in focus, with our branding acting as a supporting framework that highlights the content rather than competing with it."

Inspired by the name Midpoint, the meaning of which is the climax or central twist of a story, a circle was chosen as the centerpiece of the design. The rectangle surrounding the circle, on the other hand, symbolizes the film as a medium in which the stories unfold.

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Responsible at Midpoint Film: Janic Halioua (Leading Director + Executive Producer), Noah Debbabi (Post Production Specialist). Responsible at FS Parker: Christoph Schmidt (CEO & Managing Director), Benjamin Franz (Creative Director & Partner), Michaela Aerne (Key Account Director, Consultant, & Media Expert), Toni Pihlaja (Art Director & Senior Motion Designer), Meret Borer (Graphic Designer & Multimedia Producer), Noah Dopslaff (Graphic, UI/UX & Motion Designer), Kitti Nemeth (Graphic- & UI/UX Designer). Realizations: Bloq labs (website programming), Druckdurst (labeling).