Time to Turn Ideas into Action!

Five key takeaways from two days at the Product & Tech Conference: which insights were the most surprising, which trends deserve special attention, and where the greatest need for action has become apparent.

When keynote sessions carry titles such as “Stop Dating Your Users: Marry Them” and terms like AI Agents, coding and digital media consumption dominate conversations on Munich’s Praterinsel, it can only mean one thing: it’s Product & Tech Conference time again.

More than 300 Burda tech enthusiasts came together over two days to exchange ideas and experiences. The focus was not on abstract visions of the future, but on tangible use cases from across the Burda universe: projects, experiences and lessons learned from colleagues who are already applying new technologies in products, processes and business models today.

One topic ran through almost every presentation and discussion: artificial intelligence (AI).

The question is no longer whether AI will transform the way we work. The real question is how we use AI to build better products, strengthen user engagement and unlock new business opportunities.

Five experts shared their perspectives on the technological changes ahead – and what matters most for Burda right now.

1. Strengthening Trust with AI

“Attention without trust is worthless. AI is not just the thing that broke trust. AI is also — potentially — the most powerful tool we have ever had to rebuild it.”

For Jan Wachtel, CEO Burda Media, AI is not only a challenge for media companies but also part of the solution. Faster fact-checking, greater transparency and recommendations tailored to users’ actual needs rather than simply maximising attention are just some of the opportunities he sees.

2. The Experimental Phase Is Over

“We are moving from the testing phase to the implementation phase with AI.” Daniel Steil, Co-CEO of BurdaForward, believes we have reached a turning point. Organisations that scale technologies consistently now can secure decisive competitive advantages. “There are still companies that hesitate. But nobody here is hesitating. Today, 300 people from product, technology and editorial teams are gathered here, and that shows one thing: we want this, and there is a tremendous opportunity to seize right now.”

3. The Greatest Opportunity Lies in Collaboration

“We need to integrate AI holistically into our product and development lifecycles.” For Lydia Rullkötter, CFO at Burda, the era of experimentation is coming to an end. The priority now is to bring successful AI initiatives together, drive greater efficiency and use those gains to create better products for users.

4. AI Requires Human Responsibility

“Products and business models are becoming more complex, and we need to take that into account. There is a great deal of work ahead, but one principle remains unchanged: people must remain above AI – not the other way around.” Thomas Koelzer, CTO of BurdaForward, emphasises that trust, responsibility and human judgement will remain indispensable in the age of AI. His advice: maintain a sense of perspective and composure amid the rapid pace of change.

5. AI Will Fade into the Background

The discussions at this year’s Product & Tech Conference made it clear just how profoundly AI is already transforming products, processes and business models. At the same time, it became evident that the real challenge no longer lies in the technology itself. It will not be AI’s capabilities that determine our future success, but what we choose to do with them.

Felix Kalkum, Managing Director of BurdaSolutions and Group CIO, offered an interesting outlook: “Perhaps at the next Product & Tech Conference, we’ll be talking a lot less about AI.” Not because the topic will have become less important, but because AI will be even more deeply embedded in our products, processes and ways of working. By then, it may have evolved from a widely discussed trend into an everyday tool.