Fusion at Handelsblatt Change Congress: AI, Innovation & The Human Factor

A Recap by Our Change Management Team

On November 26-27, our Fusion Consulting Organizational Change Management (OCM) team — Alexandra Kirchner, Anika Hoffman, Bianca Udhöfer, and Katharina Oerding — attended the Handelsblatt Change Congress.

They returned energized with fresh perspectives on how AI is shaping the future of change management, and what it means for businesses navigating transformation.

Here are the top takeaways from the event:

1. AI is Only as Good as Its Input

AI systems mirror the inputs they receive. From friendliness to creativity, well-crafted prompts define AI behavior. One standout story: an airline AI, designed to be extra customer-friendly, started offering free rebookings on its own!
The lesson? Thoughtful input design is critical — and yes, AI liability insurance is now a thing.

2. Perfect Voices, Perfect Videos — Real Risks

AI can now generate hyper-realistic voices and videos. While impressive, these advances come with new risks, especially in personal and security contexts.
Tip of the day: set a family safeword to prevent scammers from misusing voice-cloning technologies.

3. AI as the New FAQ

Forget static FAQ pages. A well-trained AI chatbot can handle customer queries in real-time, providing faster, smarter answers while optimizing internal resources.
AI-driven interactions are the future of user experience.

4. Virtual Environments Go Corporate

Almost half of the world’s population engages with video games. The skills honed through gaming — spatial awareness, strategic thinking, coordination — are being harnessed in business.
From virtual company tours to gamified recruitment assessments, companies are exploring how immersive environments can enhance hiring, training, and process optimization.
AI-driven virtual scenarios are also supporting change storytelling through avatars and role-play, making transformation journeys more engaging and human-centric.

5. The Limits of AI — Where Humans Remain Irreplaceable

Despite its power in data analysis and automation, AI lacks emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, and creative problem-solving.
Cultural nuances, empathy, and moral decisions remain firmly in human hands — reinforcing the importance of blended human-AI collaboration.

Our Key Takeaway:

The Handelsblatt Change Congress highlighted how AI and Change Management are increasingly intertwined, but also reaffirmed a timeless truth: Change is still about people.

At Fusion, we’re excited to integrate these insights into our work — combining data-driven innovation with a people-first approach to transformation.