The departing chief financial officer of Siemens’ industrial software division, Ralf Thomas, says the company’s business model is not under threat from artificial intelligence. Speaking to Handelsblatt on Tuesday, he noted that “software is not all the same”. The firm does not simply rely on a vast repository of known knowledge; rather, it creates new solutions through design‑oriented processes. Thomas added that questions such as how to develop the next semiconductor are still unanswered by AI.

According to Thomas, the dozens of software companies Siemens has acquired for billions of euros over recent years have unfolded as planned. “All acquisitions are valuable” he said. The group is already scouting new takeover targets. Thomas will hand over the key financial portfolio on April 1 to his board colleague Veronika Bienert.