19 September 2025 Fashion, culture, and the necessity to keep learningFashion, media, and the arts – just like every other area of our professional and cultural life – are profoundly influenced by artificial intelligence. Mastering the technology is not optional; it is becoming an essential skill. In the fashion industry, for example, AI-driven systems are already helping designers and manufacturers to reduce waste through predictive recycling strategies and smart resource allocation. Knowing how to work with such systems can have concrete positive impacts on sustainability and innovation. In this sense, fashion illustrates what applies to all fields: there is always something new to learn.From history to hyper-personalizationThe latest podcast and video by Dr. Josef Sawetz take a closer look at the ongoing transformation of continuing education in the age of AI. The historical perspective recalls how disruptive technologies – from the internet in the 1990s to today's generative AI – were first dismissed as passing trends, only to fundamentally reshape society. Against this backdrop, Sawetz highlights the arrival of hyper-personalization in education: AI tutors that adapt to emotional states, needs, and learning styles, offering knowledge tailored to each individual.The underlying message is clear: technology alone does not shape the future. It requires individuals who actively decide how to use it, what to learn, and how to apply their knowledge responsibly. In this sense, AI calls for emancipated learners who become creators of their own path, carrying responsibility for their choices and their impact on others. The new Yin and Yang of leadershipSawetz also points to a shift in leadership culture. Emotional intelligence, strengthened by greater diversity in management, meets the agility of digital natives who are accustomed to dynamic, globally networked environments. This balance – described as a new Yin and Yang – emphasizes that modern leadership is less about rigid expertise and more about adaptability, empathy, and resilience.The pillars of soft skillsIn times when technical knowledge quickly becomes outdated, the true long-term competencies are human ones. Sawetz identifies soft skills as the "hard skills" of the future:• Openness and Curiosity • Systems Thinking • Willingness to Learn and Multi-perspectivity • Creativity and Imagination • Emotional Intelligence • Healthy Skepticism and High Resilience These skills form the pillars of a mindset that enables people to remain adaptable in a world marked by continuous change. It is not about having fixed knowledge, but about the readiness to keep learning and evolving. |