The most fundamental need of the AI-on-demand Platform at this stage in its development is the introduction of improved functionality to allow for the easy engagements of it core targets stakeholders, namely SMEs. While additional resources and strong domain-specific solutions are also needed, it will be a wasted enterprise without a simple mechanism to match users to these assets. What is needed is a Stairway to AI, a linking bridge between users in a low-tech level to the higher-level AI resources that have the potential to transform both their business.

The StairwAI project targets low-tech users with the goal of facilitating their engagement on the AI on-demand Platform. This will be achieved through a new service layer enriching the functionalities of the on-demand platform and containing:

1. a multi-lingual interaction layer enabling conversations with the Platform in the user’s own language
2. a horizontal matchmaking service for the automatic discovery of AI assets (tools, data sets, AI experts, consultants, papers, courses etc.) meeting the user business needs and,
3. a vertical matchmaking service that will dimension and provision hardware resources through a proper hardware provider (HPC, Cloud and Edge infrastructures).

These services are designed and implemented by using techniques in an AI for AI fashion. The AI techniques deployed in the development of the services are natural language processing for the multi-lingual interaction, constraint solving, optimization and machine learning for horizontal and vertical matchmaking, knowledge representation for organizing the platform AI assets, reputation and fairness mechanisms to improve the matching results.

StairwAI will have a tremendous impact on the sustainability, collaboration opportunities, accessibility and fairness of the AI on-demand Platform, enabling the definition of proper business models for the uptake of AI bringing new value for EU industry.