Innovation, the German way
How do you access your chatbot? Via phone or laptop? Well, a German company just invented a… rather peculiar way. People without access to a computer can now communicate with a chatbot via fax. A German company offers to turn questions sent by fax machines into ChatGPT requests, which the fax AI analyses and sends back an elaborate response in paper form. The requests can include translations of documents as well as mathematical tasks.
Believe it or not, fax machines are still a big part of German businesses. According to a 2024 study, 77% of German companies still use the technology invented in the 1970s. The company that now offers the fax-AI is now testing the combination of old and new technology. It can at least be doubted if it considers the fax-AI a serious approach to innovation: as written on its website, it is mainly regarded as a tool for entertainment.