--- title: De toekomst is hier... en nu? date: 2026-09-17T13:48:00+02:00 author: Nina Swaep canonical_url: "https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/de-toekomst-is-hier-en-nu/" section: Articles --- ![De toekomst is hier... en nu?](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1800x880_crop_center-center_90_none/2026%E2%80%9301%E2%80%9322_HIG_867.jpg) [ News ](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/)# De toekomst is hier... en nu? The future is here... and now? Talk shows, background articles, lectures, and even conversations at the lunch table. There is absolutely no getting around it anymore: Artificial Intelligence is everywhere and, experts now agree on this, is here to stay. And why wouldn't it be? In no time, AI tools have evolved from a handy helper to your digital work bestie. "Your friend" Chat helps write your emails, works on strategies, and analyzes your data, while "your buddy" Claude just as easily takes minutes of your meetings and sends the attendees a summary of what was discussed. But the more AI takes on, the more pressing the question becomes: what exactly do *you* want to be able to do with it? ## **AI in a nutshell** While most people have now acknowledged, or even embraced, AI, there are of course also those who want nothing to do with it. Still, it is handy to at least know what you are dealing with. Artificial Intelligence, AI for short, is the technology that allows computers and other digital systems to perform tasks that previously required human intelligence, thereby—at least partially—replacing the human role in that job. AI learns from, among other things, measurement data, texts, and other data previously produced or inputted by humans. This is part of a process known as machine learning. The computing power of and the algorithms behind AI are now so strong that the various tools can easily discover relationships and patterns in all that data, and thus deliver rapidly pieced-together 'new' input. This makes it possible to make useful new connections in a fraction of the time it would normally take. Generative AI can already produce content that does not literally appear in the data, but since the system lacks human intention or consciousness, a completely new and creative idea is never born. ### **Pros and cons** From everyday things to the way you do your work. AI now plays a significant role in all facets of many people's lives. A major factor in this is the enormous efficiency the technology brings when used in the right way. From automatically turning on the lights in your bedroom to assisting with a complex design process; with the right prompt, everything takes less effort than before. But herein, of course, also lies the danger: if you have to move and think less, won't your body and mind become lazy? And what happens to all the knowledge, expertise, and craftsmanship if we outsource everything to an entity without a brain and a soul? ### **AI in Het Industriegebouw** Within Het Industriegebouw, AI is also no longer a distant sci-fi dream. Behind the Desks, in the Units, and behind the doors of the (Private) Offices, people are cheerfully experimenting, building, and often struggling with it. It makes sense, because with over 250 creative and corporate entrepreneurs from the tech, design, architecture, media, and hospitality industries under one roof, AI means something different to everyone. For one entrepreneur, it's primarily a smart assistant that takes all the boring chores off their hands. For another, it's a tool that makes things possible that were unthinkable in that field a few years ago. And where one person can't wait to see what new developments are coming, another wonders what knowledge and skills we might be losing along the way. ### **Me, myself & AI** Which AI bot works best for my business? What happens to authenticity if all my competitors are working with the same models? Does AI help my employees become more creative, or does it actually make them lazy? What knowledge are we actually giving away? What does it actually mean for the survival of my job? And perhaps the most difficult question: who is keeping an eye on things when it comes to reliability, privacy, copyright, and ethics? AI systems can be quite convincing, but it regularly happens that a chatbot generates incorrect information. Of course, there is no single answer to all these questions, and moreover, every entrepreneur views these issues from their own, often profession-related, perspective. That is why we went into the building for our new column, *AI you talking to me*. We spoke with entrepreneurs from all different corners of HIG about how AI has changed their work recently. There were enthusiastic answers about tools they can already no longer imagine ever having worked without, about applications that amaze them, and also the necessary confessions about the moments when they deliberately keep AI at bay. ### **In short** No big predictions about chatbots taking over the world in the next ten years, but a tour of the people who are learning to work with it *right now*. What works like a charm? What causes friction? Where are the opportunities? And, last but not least, what must we remain critical of at all times? In other words: the future is here. And now? 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