Making AI understandable: Systematisation of AI demonstrators in the production context

The rapid progress of Artificial Intelligence (AI) challenges companies as well as research and educational institutions to convey its potential, functionality and limitations while fostering acceptance. AI demonstrators provide a tangible means to communicate complex methods and applications. This paper presents an exploratory market analysis and literature review to systematically identify fields of application, technological features, and recurring design elements of AI demonstrators in the production context. In total, 95 AI demonstrators were identified and 37 analysed in detail. The results highlight a strong concentration in scenarios of quality management and process optimisation, with physical demonstrators dominating. The technological spectrum ranges from low-cost systems to modular industrial applications; while didactic concepts employ interactive, explainable and gamified elements. These findings underline the potential of AI demonstrators to enhance understanding and support technology acceptance.