The Swiss AI Podcast: Strategic AI Orientation for the C-Suite

Why executives need a strategic AI compass today

The AI transformation is advancing at a pace that overwhelms traditional professional development formats. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis captured the dynamic at the third global AI Summit: the current AI development represents an industrial revolution with ten times the impact in one tenth the time. For Swiss decision-makers, this means those who choose to 'wait and see' today will lose ground tomorrow.

At the same time, there is a shortage of precise information sources tailored to the leadership level. Trade media write for developers; social media channels produce hype. The Swiss AI Podcast fills this gap: compressed, strategically actionable knowledge — hosted and produced by Bernd Schmellenkamp and Chris Jon Graf.

AI as a leadership imperative: what the 2026 figures demand

The data are unequivocal. According to the EY AI Survey 2026 — a study of 604 employees from Swiss companies — 89 percent already use AI in their daily work. Yet systematic scaling and strategic anchoring remain at an early stage in most organisations. This gap between individual use and strategic governance is the decisive leadership challenge of the present.

At SME level, the AXA Labour Market Study 2025 (Sotomo Institute, 300 Swiss SMEs surveyed) shows: the share of SMEs consciously integrating AI into work processes rose from 22 to 34 percent within a single year. The share of companies not using AI at all fell from 45 to 29 percent simultaneously. Translation and correspondence (52%) and advertising copy (38%) top the usage list — but the strategically critical development lies elsewhere: 34 percent are already using AI to optimise entire work processes, and 32 percent for data analysis.

Despite these usage rates, strategic anchoring remains weak: according to Deloitte Switzerland, 35 percent of Swiss companies lack identifiable AI use cases, and only 24 percent have introduced mandatory AI training. The swissVR Monitor (Spring 2026) further reveals that in many boards the expertise is missing and regular reporting by the executive team on AI use barely takes place.

AI advisor and podcast guest Martin Jäger put the fundamental problem succinctly: 'AI is a management topic. It has no place in the IT department.' Companies that delegate AI to IT treat it as an infrastructure decision — when in reality it is a question of corporate governance, process design and change management. For concrete recommendations on scaling AI projects, see 'From Pilot Trap to ROI: How Swiss SMEs Successfully Scale AI Agents' on this platform.

The hosts: journalistic depth meets strategic AI expertise

Bernd Schmellenkamp — Senior Content Consultant and journalist since 1986

Bernd Schmellenkamp has worked as a journalist, editor and author since 1986 — in print, radio, TV and online. He was editor-in-chief and programme director at television and radio stations, has founded agencies and managed media projects, and now works as a Senior Content Consultant and Content Trust Expert. As the author of 'Die 150 besten Hotels der Schweiz' and editor for 'DER FEINSCHMECKER', he brings a unique combination of Swiss expertise, journalistic craft and storytelling skill.

In the podcast, Schmellenkamp draws on his decades of experience as a TV presenter, speaker and social-audio host: he conducts conversations with the precision of a seasoned interviewer — focused, without digressions, with a clear emphasis on strategic value for listeners.

Chris Jon Graf — AI strategist and trusted advisor to the C-suite

Chris Jon Graf is an AI strategist, CEO of KI-Outsourcing.ch and strategic sparring partner for C-level executives. He sees himself not as a conventional consultant who delivers standard solutions, but as a discreet trusted advisor for executives navigating the tension between strategic foresight, operational intensity and technological evolution.

• Strategic sparring (clarity): A discreet resonance space for radical intellectual honesty — diffuse complexity is transformed into a clear architecture of priorities.
• AI & Leadership Architecture (sovereignty): From individual AI strategy to automated workflows — so that technology serves as a tool rather than a driving force.
• Communication with impact (power): Through NLP and systemic thinking, messages are sharpened to create internal orientation and build genuine external trust.

Format and content: what executives can expect from the podcast

Since its launch in August 2024, over 35 episodes have been published. Each episode follows the same quality promise: no technical lectures, no superficial trends, but substantive conversations with personalities who know AI from practice.

Past guests include Ralf Blaschke and Dennis Hammer from Accenture — one of the world's leading AI consulting firms — researchers from ETH Zurich and executives from media companies such as Funke Mediengruppe. Topics range from AI governance and the EU AI Act to the use of AI agents in business operations and the geopolitical implications of global AI development.

Particularly relevant are episodes addressing concrete implementation questions: how does a mid-sized company deploy AI without development resources? What compliance obligations apply from August 2026 for companies deploying AI systems? For the latter, the article 'EU AI Act August 2026: The Deployer Compliance Checklist for Swiss Companies' on this platform provides a compact overview of the current requirements under Art. 26 of the EU AI Act.

Relevance for Swiss decision-makers: figures and context

Switzerland is better positioned in the global AI race than its own awareness suggests: with over 110 AI researchers per 100,000 inhabitants, it ranks first worldwide (IMD World Competitiveness Center, 2024). At the same time, the World Economic Forum (WEF, 2025) warns that up to 95 million roles could be transformed or displaced by automation by 2030 — a significant share in Swiss knowledge work.

According to a Digitalswitzerland study (January 2026), 67 percent of Swiss SMEs with fewer than 250 employees plan to integrate at least one AI tool into their processes by end of 2026 — yet only 18 percent have a structured plan to do so. This gap between intention and execution is the core problem, and precisely why strategic knowledge for decision-makers is so urgently needed.

SMEs with active AI use (2025)

34% (vs. 22% in 2024) | AXA/Sotomo

Swiss employees using AI daily

89% | EY AI Survey 2026

SMEs with a structured AI implementation plan

only 18% | Digitalswitzerland 2026

Companies with mandatory AI training

24% | Deloitte Switzerland

AI researchers per 100,000 inhabitants (CH)

110+, world-leading | IMD 2024

For board members and CEOs, AI is no longer optional — it is a leadership responsibility. The Swiss AI Podcast provides the foundation to exercise that responsibility in an informed manner: without hype, without scaremongering, with the Swiss precision standard: accurate, discreet, substantive.

How to listen to the Swiss AI Podcast

The podcast is available on all major platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and directly at ki-podcast.ch. New episodes are published regularly; the archive of over 35 episodes serves as a reference resource for strategic AI questions. Subscribe directly on your preferred platform to stay up to date.