From IBM manager to AI entrepreneur: a personal journey
Michael Wegmüller has over 20 years of experience in the field of data, analytics and AI. After working at IBM, where he built up the consulting practice for data science and AI, he ventured into entrepreneurship. "It was always my dream to become an entrepreneur. With Artifact, we wanted to show that AI can create real added value - not just for tech companies, but for companies of all sizes." His path has taken him from the development of classic CRM systems to the first data-driven analyses and predictive AI solutions, which are now at the heart of many business models.

Philosophy: responsibility, agility and partnership

Artifact stands for a pragmatic, partnership-based approach that goes beyond pure technology:

- Responsible AI:
"We always develop AI solutions in line with ethical principles and attach great importance to data quality and governance. AI is not an end in itself, but must serve people and society."

- Pragmatic agility:
"We focus on fast, iterative implementation - from the initial strategy to scalable implementation. It's about developing solutions close to the customer and to real problems."

- Partnership at eye level:
"Our team supports companies from use case identification to the sustainable anchoring of AI in day-to-day business. We want our customers to understand how AI works and how they can use it effectively."

Successful "hAIdi" project: digital innovation for Swiss tourism

Artifact is particularly proud of the "hAIdi" project, a GenAI-based digital assistant for Switzerland Tourism. "We have built a digital assistant that understands structured market data and helps tourism providers to make data-driven decisions - without hallucinations, with reliable, fact-based analyses," reports Wegmüller.
The project was honored with the Digital Economy Award 2024 and is considered a role model for the next generation of business intelligence in Switzerland.

What makes hAIdi special?

- It analyzes large volumes of market data and provides comprehensible, well-founded recommendations.
- It helps tourism regions to put their marketing and communication strategies on a solid data basis.
- The solution is so intuitive that even non-data scientists can benefit from it.

"Other countries envy Switzerland for this database. With hAIdi, we are making it accessible to everyone - and thus strengthening Switzerland as a tourism location as a whole."

AI for SMEs: from strategy to implementation

Artifact supports companies of all industries and sizes - from strategy development to the implementation of customized AI solutions.
"Our aim is for companies to experience AI not as a black box, but as a tool for making better decisions. This requires not only technology, but also change management and employee empowerment."
More than 40 customer projects, a Net Promoter Score of 85 and numerous recommendations speak for the practical, partnership-based approach.

Typical fields of application:

- Automated data analyses and forecasts for sales, marketing and operations
- AI-supported decision-making in purchasing and the supply chain
- Intelligent assistants that relieve employees of everyday tasks and speed up processes

Data quality and change management: the basis for sustainable success

Wegmüller repeatedly emphasizes that AI is only as good as the data on which it is based: "Garbage in, garbage out - this also applies to AI. The introduction of AI solutions is often a catalyst for companies to finally address the issue of data quality strategically." With hAIdi, for example, many destinations first realized how important clean, consistent data is for their own competitiveness.

However, the focus is also on people: "70% of the effort involved in introducing AI should go into enabling and empowering employees. Only when people understand how AI works and how they can use it will real added value be created."

AI as a competitive advantage for Switzerland

The podcast makes it clear that Switzerland has enormous potential to become a leading AI location - if it plays to its strengths in a targeted manner. "In Switzerland, we have fantastic innovative strength, excellent talent and a strong SME sector. It is crucial that we develop AI solutions that are tailored to our needs - and that we put people at the center."

Wegmüller would like to see a Swiss AI ecosystem of its own that focuses on quality, responsibility and collaboration: "I believe we are about to take the next step: from exploration to scaling. The coming years will show how AI will become a real growth driver for the Swiss economy."

AI as a tool for people and companies

Artifact stands for a new generation of AI companies: practical, responsible and with a real impact on business and society.
"AI is not an end in itself, but a tool that empowers people and companies - if it is done right."

Artifact's history shows that innovation and responsibility must go hand in hand in order to create sustainable added value for society. Those who see AI not just as technology, but as an opportunity for better decisions and more humanity, are actively shaping the future.

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About the podcast AI Talk
AI Talk is the podcast about artificial intelligence in Switzerland - with real movers and shakers, experts and decision-makers from tech, research, politics and business. Hosted by Stephan Lendi and Dalith Steiger-Gablinger, each episode of the podcast highlights new perspectives on innovation, responsibility and the concrete application of AI technologies. Whether ethics, regulation, talent development or deep tech - AI Talk combines personal insights with strategic foresight.

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