“Fast Intellect is the new Fast Fashion: from instant gratification to hidden mental cost.”
This talk explores how AI has made intelligence instant, abundant, and increasingly disposable. Like fast fashion, it is driven by speed, scale, and instant gratification, often at the expense of depth, meaning, and long-term value. And just as fast fashion hides its environmental and human impact, fast intellect hides a mental cost, fueling anxiety, self-doubt, and the fear of being obsolete (FOBO). As ideas become easier to generate, we begin to value them, and ourselves, less. The talk calls for reclaiming depth and meaning in how we think and how we “consume” intellectual effort.
“AI and the quiet redistribution of power”
This keynote moves the AI debate beyond productivity and job losses to a deeper shift: the redistribution of digital power. LLMs are making custom software accessible to smaller and mission-driven organisations once excluded by cost and complexity. They enable individuals to create disproportionate impact and give organisations greater control over the tools they need. AI will not automatically make systems fairer, but it makes fairness technically possible. This isn’t just a tech story, it’s a leadership story.
“My mother, my boss and me”
A conversation with my 23-year-old son changed the way I think about leadership. Trying to reassure him by saying that "everything is possible," I unintentionally made his anxiety worse. His response revealed a deeper truth: unlimited choice doesn't always create freedom — it can create paralysis.
In this keynote, Béatrice de Mahieu explores why the challenge facing today's parents is remarkably similar to the one facing today's managers. In a world reshaped by AI, constant disruption, and endless opportunities, young people don't simply need more possibilities — they need meaning, direction, and a safe framework in which to grow.
Blending personal storytelling with leadership insights, this keynote challenges the myth that empowerment means removing all boundaries. Instead, it argues that the greatest gift leaders can offer is not unlimited freedom, but a clear purpose, a protected space to experiment, and the confidence to navigate uncertainty. A thought-provoking session for leaders who want to inspire the next generation without overwhelming it.
