Digital Communication

We’re living through the biggest technological shift in decades, yet most AI initiatives are stalling, teams are burning out, and leaders are quietly wondering if they’re missing something fundamental. Sound familiar?

Drawing from ultramarathon running and years guiding organizations through digital transformation, Jasmin Guthmann reveals why your carefully crafted strategies inevitably hit the wall – and how the world’s most effective leaders turn those moments into competitive advantages.

This isn’t another keynote about AI potential or digital transformation strategies. This is about what happens when your plans fall apart and how you respond. Jasmin will challenge the fundamental assumption that’s paralyzing leaders everywhere: the myth that you need to be “ready.”

Ready isn’t a state you arrive at – it’s a decision you make. Especially when everything is falling apart.

If you’re tired of AI hype and ready for a framework that actually works when the going gets tough, this keynote will energize you for the real race ahead. Because your best leadership doesn’t happen when everything goes according to plan – it happens when your plan goes to hell and you decide what to do next.

Eight years ago, I co-founded the Do No Harm framework in response to the “move fast and break things” era, calling for shared standards and ethical practices that protect the values that connect us. Since then, it has informed publications, lectures, and keynotes, shaping conversations about designing experiences that serve people, not just systems and bottom lines.

As publicly accessible large language models (LLMs) and other once-mythologized technologies become everyday tools, the challenge is no longer simply avoiding harm. It is actively designing experiences that help us reconnect, be social again, and strengthen the human bonds that technology too often frays.

Drawing on my work as an anthropologist, former design lead, and Marketing Director at The Social Gaming Group, this talk looks forward, exploring how we can rebuild what has been lost, including our ability to be social, present, and connected in real life, through human-centered, values-driven practices that restore trust, strengthen community, and foster meaningful connection.

The digital future of every society depends on our regaining control over infrastructure, protecting our privacy, and making technological choices for the public good.

Digital sovereignty is not an abstract ideal. It’s about control, trust, and building systems that reflect democratic values and meet practical needs—with us, as makers, users, choosers, and vendors of technology, ensuring digital sovereignty.

Some stops along this journey:
•⁠  ⁠Why digital sovereignty is a strategic necessity, not a theoretical ideal
•⁠  ⁠How open source supports privacy, transparency, and autonomy
•⁠  ⁠Practical steps companies, individuals, governments, institutions, and vendors can take today, including choosing open-source tools and partners that build trust and ensure sovereignty

As the name suggests, lightning talks give speakers a limited amount of time to make their presentation – around 10 minutes. They may or may not include slides.

Because lightning talks are brief, it requires the speaker to make their point clearly and rid the presentation of non-critical information. This, in turn, helps keep the attention of the audience.

It also means many ideas can be presented in a short amount of time. Get in touch if you are interested in sharing your story.

A session on what helps me the most in the process and how to make things better for 2026

Those still around and with some energy left are invited for one final, nice post-conference dinner.

You’ll get a chance to talk with colleagues, and other participants over a glass (or two!) of wine or beer before leaving Aarhus. This year we will visit Marais, a charming new restaurant with a good kitchen on Guldsmedgade.