AI requires a new way of thinking - for business and society

From the discussion about marketing tools to the fundamental question of our future

We are discussing the impact of AI on branding, marketing and corporate communications with great passion. This is important and right. However, perhaps we should take a step back and address a bigger question: What does AI mean for our society as a whole — for politics and business — and how do we want to deal with this change?

In his article "AI Is Rewriting the Rules for Building Strong Brands," Erich Joachimsthaler of the Vivaldi Group discusses the topic from a marketing perspective. He believes brands that understand the new reality and operate with new techniques and strategies have great potential for growth.

However, I don't believe this is a sustainable perspective for the future.

The fundamental question is whether our economy will continue to depend on continuous growth or if we need to redefine it. The current AI discussion, such as the "intent economy" (AI just solved the original problem and built a new growth model), focuses on growth and ignores the fact that we are reaching ecological, demographic, and social limits. Are we falling back into the growth trap and misjudging the social explosiveness that accompanies the AI revolution?

Let's imagine a somewhat realistic scenario: What if AI eliminated 50% of lawyers and marketing professionals? What would happen then? A new phenomenon would emerge: high earners would become unemployed. People who spent their lives acquiring in-demand qualifications would suddenly find themselves out of work. The last financial crisis showed how quickly shifts can affect the entire economy. At that time, many highly qualified professionals suddenly found themselves out of work. There was an oversupply of used Porsches, a small but significant symptom of deeper issues. This phenomenon could be dramatically exacerbated by AI. Meanwhile, we will still need people to sweep our streets, work in nursing homes, and perform other manual labor. The gap between "demanding" and "less demanding" jobs will not close — quite the contrary.

There is also a democratic dimension to this. We are witnessing a troubling trend in our democracies. In many of the most important societies, fewer than 50% of eligible voters participate in elections. Much of the population obtains information through questionable channels, to say the least. This is where AI can and must play a positive role. How can we use AI to improve the formation of opinions rather than manipulate it? How can we prevent AI from becoming a tool for disinformation? These are fundamental social questions, not technical ones.

Then there's another major generational issue. People born after 2000 have different attitudes toward work, consumption, and meaning than those born between 1950 and 2000 (baby boomers and Generation Y). They did not grow up with the economic miracle, the idea that growth equals prosperity, or the notion that a career, possessions, and status are the keys to success. These younger generations (Generation Z and those following it) have experienced discussions about the climate crisis, finiteness, digital overload, and the realization that previous generations' promises have gone unfulfilled. They will probably have different views on reorienting growth. Early signs indicate that meaning is more important to them than salary, that they consider work-life balance a fundamental right, and that they have a different understanding of consumption, politics, and technology.

These considerations lead to the conclusion that we need radically new ideas that go far beyond marketing. A new concept for the economy and society is required. We urgently need to answer a series of questions: How will we redistribute work and income as more activities become automated? How can we prevent social upheaval caused by AI-related unemployment in high-wage sectors? How do we shape the transition to an economy that is no longer dependent on growth? The issue is not about no growth, but rather, what kind of growth is desirable.

The role of branding in transformation

But let's start from the beginning. What does this have to do with branding and marketing? Brands may not transform society, but they can create spaces for new ideas. They also have the potential to attract enormous attention. Apple, for example, has sold 2.5 billion iPhones—one out of every three people owns an iPhone—and has not only sold products but also opened up new possibilities for people. "Think Different" was never just a slogan, but a promise. Imagine Apple using its branding to promote qualitative growth. "Think Different" could mean rethinking consumption, promoting longevity as a value, and embracing simplicity — including in terms of sales.

Brands have influence. That's the other hand, let us imagine that, in the foreseeable future, we could access all of humanity's knowledge through AI. This would open up enormous potential. AI itself will not provide the solutions. However, it can help us rethink and redefine problems, thereby identifying new solutions. Technology alone cannot achieve this. However, we can if we are open to using these new opportunities in positive and constructive precisely why they can be part of the solution. If they develop new narratives that go beyond "more and more," they can drive this change forward. The only question is, who will be the first to take the plunge? Who has the courage to redefine growth before facing external pressure? Would consumers reward a brand that focuses on sustainability and genuine quality of life instead of revenue? There are already signs of this, albeit weak ones. In Switzerland, for instance, an increasing number of consumers are willing to pay more for organic food. As we've seen, people who grew up after 2000 have very different ideas about the future than those who grew up between 1950 and 2000.

At first glance, what I am arguing here may seem unrealistic. However, if we continue as before, we will fail to solve existing problems and create new ones. On ways. I believe in this idea. I have worked on it for 60 years and have achieved a great deal, especially in my work with the business community. For this reason, I am convinced that business and industry must solve our major problems, not protest groups. While protest groups are sometimes necessary to draw attention to problems, the solutions must come from the business community itself. This includes branding and marketing.

The question is not whether AI will change our world. The question is whether we are courageous enough  to shape this change. I believe in the economy as a creative force. But it needs branding or marketing that wants more than just sales. It needs leadership that wants more than just growth. And it needs people who want more than just the old.

This article was written between February 15 and 16, 2026, in collaboration and dialogue (research and text optimization) with the chatbot DeepSeek, version: current web service, as of February 2026.