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<p><strong>It’s 2:00 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon. The journalist logs into the online Zoom meeting from Zwolle and sees that someone is already in the “meeting room.” It’s “Ferrans AI Notetaker,” the robot that takes notes for Ferran Rohaan. Next, Ferran, the technical director of the Hengelo-based company Artific, is ready as well. Together with account and marketing manager Tom Smit, he’ll be speaking in this interview. They’re both full of enthusiasm about their AI solutions for the business world.</strong></p><p><img src="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/Artific_denk_groot_begin_klein_420d4a2bed.jpg?token=jZsg9oSAD3Luxq29UKLAW4OD2lnI4DpxEsG0VxAQlsw&amp;expires=1777452697" alt="Artific denk groot, begin klein.jpg" srcset="https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/thumbnail_Artific_denk_groot_begin_klein_420d4a2bed.jpg?token=CIw9a5sKNJ3D-axTz8cYWXqi0fgJWvVUmatmZYRs6cc&amp;expires=1777452697 234w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/small_Artific_denk_groot_begin_klein_420d4a2bed.jpg?token=F_B-AT1NVBDaj2Omm0vVrUIBY34XdymW-OXSwrbp3Mg&amp;expires=1777452697 500w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/medium_Artific_denk_groot_begin_klein_420d4a2bed.jpg?token=AaEY2RWlJRj3pzV1cxuKuW_dJtFOX5yNq1aGW1u5Skw&amp;expires=1777452697 750w,https://cms.aihub-oost.nl/uploads/large_Artific_denk_groot_begin_klein_420d4a2bed.jpg?token=w7DOE2iHf1dGx3KkeO9w6qkZh9MckOhoTB0-bhwj6cA&amp;expires=1777452697 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="3840" height="2560"></p><p>While most companies treat AI as a “side project,” Artific, by its own account, is “deep in the heart of artificial intelligence.” “Artific is one of the few tech companies that focuses exclusively on AI solutions. Most other companies just do it on the side,” says Rohaan. “We currently have about twenty people working here, the vast majority of whom are ‘developers’ and ‘AI data scientists.’ They apply their knowledge to custom algorithms and AI assistants.”</p><h2>Predicting with Data</h2><p>Could you give an example? For readers who aren’t tech-savvy, terms like “developers,” “data scientists,” and “algorithms” aren’t part of everyday vocabulary. “Take the preparation of financial statements, for example. That’s an annual task for companies. Accountants spend days, if not weeks, poring over them. But it can also be automated. The figures already exist; they just need to be incorporated into the financial statements. That can be done automatically through a link to the accounting software. Things like employee turnover and sick leave can also be automatically included in the annual report via a link to the company’s HR system,” says Rohaan.<br>“But,” he says, “those are just the ‘basics,’ because one of the greatest added values of AI is the ability to look ahead and make forecasts. To stick with the example of the financial statements: based on previous financial statements, you can make a forecast for the coming year. For example, which customers are on the verge of leaving. That gives you the opportunity to take corrective action—such as reaching out to those customers and discussing how you can retain them.’</p><h2>Custom Algorithms</h2><p>Companies can make predictions thanks to algorithms that combine numerous facts and figures. “We write such algorithms for our clients and incorporate them into a model linked to one or more of the client’s systems. An example of this is predicting a student’s academic progress,” says Smit. “How old is the student, what is their family situation, how close do they live to the school, and what grades did they earn in which subjects in high school? We use variables like these to create an algorithm.”</p><p>Rohaan emphasizes: “We specialize in technology and artificial intelligence; how an educational institution or other client chooses to use it is up to them.” <br>The company, based in Hengelo in the Twente region, is primarily approached by businesses that want to get started with AI but don’t yet know exactly how this technology can benefit their business, service, or product. “For them, we develop an AI vision,” explains Smit. “We examine how their processes work, identify their repetitive tasks, and explore how they can make their work more enjoyable and efficient with the help of AI. And, not least, how they can save money. Our motto is: think big, start small, but start now. And more and more companies are also inclined to get started right away,” says Smit. “People now realize that the internet was also a revolution—and that companies that made the switch too late went under.”</p><h2>AI Assistant </h2><p>The Artific product that’s most popular is the AI assistant. To explain simply what an AI assistant does, Rohaan says: “Think of a chatbot, but more advanced. Chatbots are programmed to handle frequently asked questions and common responses. This is usually set up in advance as a predefined flow. Our AI assistants, on the other hand, are powered by language models—such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. A company can then add its own websites and other sources, from which the AI assistant retrieves the answers. The AI assistant is therefore smarter than a chatbot. It actively searches for the answer itself—for example, on the company’s website or in its databases. The AI assistant can be deployed in multiple ways. Internally, for example, as a knowledge base for staff. Or on the website as an all-around customer service representative.”</p><p>What sets Artific’s solutions apart is that they are offered as “private” solutions. “That means the information circulating within the system remains within secure boundaries and complies with GDPR guidelines. The data does not go to the U.S., as is the case with ChatGPT, for example,” explains Smit. “There are also models where everything stays on the customer’s own hardware—‘Llama models.’ They’re exclusive to the customer in question and can run on their own servers. So companies can also store all their confidential information there,” says Smit. “That’s a major advantage, because privacy is one of the reasons companies are still hesitant to use AI. Security is a top priority at Artific.”</p><h2>A Boost for SMEs</h2><p>Artific’s experts predict that AI can give SMEs a huge boost. “Take companies with customer service departments, for example. The AI assistant’s conversation module is ideal for them. It can analyze email correspondence and, based on that, draft and send email responses on its own,” says Smit. <br>Incidentally, he still believes in the value of “real employees.” “If you write a good piece,” he says, addressing the journalist, “AI can improve it, but you’d still want to proofread it yourself before using it, right? </p><blockquote><p>We say, ‘AI isn’t going to replace you—but the person using AI will.’”</p></blockquote><h2>“Playground” to Try Out AI</h2><p>As AI enthusiasts, Smit and Rohaan see it as their personal mission to help companies discover the benefits of artificial intelligence. With that goal in mind, the Artific team developed their “Playground.” “Anyone can log in, and it’s completely free. You can do fifty different things with AI there—from creating images to writing blog posts, and from setting up a social media calendar to conducting keyword research for search engine optimization,” Smit summarizes.</p><p><br>When asked why Artific offers so many tools for free, Rohaan replies: “Those solutions are fun and incredibly useful for businesses; they save a lot of time because they replace manual labor. However, they don’t go nearly as ‘deep’ as the custom solutions we create. That’s where we really delve into the depths of AI.”</p><h2>New Jobs</h2><p>According to Rohaan, the time savings that AI delivers for companies do not result in job cuts. “Historically, technology has only ever created new jobs. New jobs are being created, with different titles and different responsibilities. Quality control specialists and configurators, for example. Moreover, most companies are short-staffed. At a car repair shop, the mechanic sometimes answers the phone. If an AI assistant can handle that, the mechanic can focus on his craft and repair more cars in the same amount of time. After all, such an AI assistant can also explain to the caller why a warning light is on and whether they need to bring the car into the shop.”</p><h2>AI Hub East Netherlands</h2><p>As an AI leader in Twente, it’s only natural that Artific is involved with the AI Hub East Netherlands. Rohaan: “I want to invest even more in other AI companies. Naturally, those investments will focus exclusively on AI companies or companies that have an AI component. My goal is to give other companies a strong start in AI and thereby raise the bar in the eastern part of our country. Just think back to the introduction of the internet. What if the entrepreneurs in the Eastern Netherlands hadn’t done anything with it back then?”<br> </p><blockquote><p>In addition, Rohaan is brainstorming ideas with the hub to bring AI even more to life in the eastern part of the country. “Artific and the AI hub want to organize an event together,” says Rohaan. “A hackathon, for example.”</p></blockquote><p>For companies where artificial intelligence doesn’t yet play a role, Rohaan advises: “It’s perfectly fine to start small with AI. In conversations with entrepreneurs, we sometimes see their imaginations run wild—they suddenly see so many possibilities. But because AI is new to many companies, it’s smart to start small. One thing leads to another. But do start now, because the sooner you learn to work with it, the further you’ll get with it in the future.” With that, he and his colleague Smit wrap up the interview.</p><p>While “Ferrans AI Note-Taker” has already prepared a transcript of the interview, the journalist has yet to begin organizing her notes. Maybe she should log in to Artifics Playground and see what can be done more easily and quickly… </p>

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<p>It’s 2:00 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon. The journalist logs into the online Zoom meeting from Zwolle and sees that someone is already in the “meeting room.” It’s “Ferrans AI Notetaker,” the robot that takes notes for Ferran Rohaan. Next, Ferran, the technical director of the Hengelo-based company Artific, is ready to go. He’ll be speaking in this interview alongside account and marketing manager Tom Smit. They’re both very enthusiastic about their AI solutions for the business world.</p>