Sascha Lobo spoke at the Work Culture Festival at Orgatec 2024 in Cologne on the topic of ‘Digitalisation in the world of work: Germany needs an AI jolt’. Referring to the development and relevance of artificial intelligence (AI) since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Lobo emphasised that AI is no longer a futuristic concept. The beta version of ChatGPT already made it clear which areas of work it could take over in the future.

Lobo, who laid the foundations for the concept of ‘New Work’ back in 2006 with his book ‘Wir nennen es Arbeit’ (We call it work), now explained that AI heralds the next ‘emancipation stage’ of work. At the centre of his presentation was the call for a cultural change in the world of work, in which fears and insecurities must be addressed.

Fear of AI? Sascha Lobo explains why a can-do attitude is needed now!

A key topic was the concern of many employees as to whether AI would threaten their jobs and whether they would be able to understand the technology. Sascha Lobo explained that these fears could hinder the realisation of projects, as the fear of technology is deeply rooted. ‘We have to address the fear,’ he said and called on companies, institutions and society to address these fears so that Germany does not lose touch with AI development. Sascha Lobo emphasised the importance of overcoming these fears and showed how an open and positive approach to AI could drive forward work culture and innovation.

From ChatGPT to the 2024 fax machine: why Germany must finally kick-start AI

Lobo cited Google as an example of consistent prioritisation of AI: the company has invested hundreds of billions and brought the brightest minds on board, including Nobel Prize winners. Despite these enormous resources and prioritisation, ChatGPT appeared in 2022 – developed by a comparatively small start-up. This shows that you have to be prepared for unforeseen developments and that size and capital alone do not lead to success. He criticised the often backward attitude to technology in Germany and joked about articles that would still be rating the ‘best fax machines’ in 2024.

Changing work culture and new requirements

Sascha Lobo explained that AI technology requires people to change their behaviour in order to be effective. For example, AI-supported data streams could revolutionise entire industries, as the example of Weight Watchers shows: calorie counting could now be carried out using a simple photo analysis. He emphasised that people love to share data and that this openness is crucial for digital transformation.

He called for more courage and a can-do spirit to promote entrepreneurship and explained that only through this attitude could the great AI transformation really reach companies.

Career recommendations and skills for the future

When asked which professions he would recommend to young people, Sascha Lobo replied that the basic tips had hardly changed in 15 years: ‘You should do what you really want to do.’ Nevertheless, he recommended thinking in terms of economic productivity and harmonising one’s own interests with the needs of the market economy.

Lobo’s presentation thus made it clear that Germany needs a radical, courageous change in order to fully utilise the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence in the world of work.

Would you like to find out more about Sascha Lobo or book him directly for a lecture? Contact us: +49 (0)30 640 777 42 or contact@leading-minds.com