The 5th International Conference on Digitalization and Management Innovation (DMI2026)

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from a source of competitive differentiation into a pervasive force reshaping economic systems, educational institutions, managerial practices, and everyday human behavior. As AI diffuses at unprecedented speed, competitive advantages erode rapidly. What once distinguished early adopters is quickly becoming a baseline capability. Against this backdrop, the keynote examines the evolving intersection of business and AI. It critically explores how AI transforms mechanisms of value creation and institutional practices across business, society, media, and academia. In doing so, it seeks to stimulate a forward-looking discussion on how organizations and institutions can harness AI's potential while simultaneously cultivating resilience, strategic adaptability, and long-term sustainability.

Biography: Claudia Loebbecke has held the Chair of Media and Technology Management at the University of Cologne, Germany, since 2000. She served as President of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) from 2005 to 2006 and was named an AIS Fellow in 2012 and a Distinguished Member cum laude in 2019. She is a long-standing member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the European Academy of Sciences, Beta Gamma Sigma, the Fulbright Alumni Network, and EU High-Level Groups on Policy Innovation, in particular on Accelerating Technology Transition. After nearly 20 years as Senior Editor of the Information Systems Journal and the Journal of Strategic Information Systems, she now serves as an Honorary Board Member of three leading journals, contributes to several editorial boards, and reviews extensively for academic conferences. She held appointments at INSEAD, McKinsey & Company, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Copenhagen Business School, as well as visiting positions at MIT, the London School of Economics, Paris Dauphine University, Bentley University, and the University of New South Wales. Her advisory and board roles include Johannes Kepler University Business School in Linz, Austria (since 2025), the regional public broadcaster WDR (2016–2024), Fraunhofer IAIS for KI/AI.NRW (2019–2022), and the Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (2012–2020). She holds a Ph.D. and a Master’s degree from the University of Cologne, as well as an MBA from Indiana University. Her research focuses on digital business models, media and technology management, regulatory issues, and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. She has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers.