Damir Shakirov, Dipl.-Ing.

Please tell us what fascinates you most about research.
Research always starts with an idea and believe that it actually could work. When I see my idea develop first into a working prototype and eventually into an application, that is an incredible feeling. Here at Bosch Research, I get the opportunity to work on those ideas. Given that we as a company are present in so many different domains, almost any idea is one that can potentially change the world.

What makes research at Bosch so special?
This transition from idea, to prototype, to an application in a real product, which I can experience in my daily life and tell friends and family about, is very unique. As a global company, we also have a global partner structure. I collaborate with colleagues from Pittsburgh and academical researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in my ongoing project.

What research topics are you currently working on at Bosch?
Currently we are working on the application of Generative AI models in manufacturing. Our vision is to be able to use those models just the way we use large language models like ChatGPT today. Our manufacturing experts will be able to use them for configuring manufacturing lines or querying for unexpected behavior such as the sudden occurrence of scrapped products.

What are the biggest scientific challenges in your field of research?
Today’s biggest challenge with generative AI algorithms lies in the generation of trustworthy and reliable results. The models that exist today excel at producing results, but those results must be verified before using them. It is easy to identify if something is physically impossible and exclude those suggestions from the possibility space. It is much harder to identify all undesirable consequences of those suggestions within a given context.

How do the results of your research become part of solutions “Invented for life”?
Our ultimate goal is to reduce scrap rates to zero. We want to minimize the environmental and hence economical footprint of our operations. Not wasting valuable resources helps to save more than just carbon dioxide emissions.