Thursday 15:05
in None
If AI can handle the code, the writing, the routine data processing, and complete automation frameworks with agents, what exactly are we supposed to be learning? This panel brings together the Python community for an honest and likely heated conversation about the skills that actually provide a human edge in an automated world. We are moving past the hype to look at the hard realities of 2026:
The Educational Pivot: When the doing is automated, does technical mastery still matter? A developer and Data Science education expert debates whether we still need to learn the how, or whether the focus should shift entirely to the why.
The Global Reality: A consultant's view on how AI is transforming non-technical industries. It is no longer just about code; AI is reshaping the very tasks that define professional roles across the board. And how do you spot real talent in a world of AI-assisted portfolios?
The Future Framework: The Head of an AI Academy asks: how do we upskill an entire workforce when the tools are changing faster than any curriculum can be written? And which future skills matter most, beyond AI skills themselves?
No consensus guaranteed. These are the very questions we all need to answer, right now.
Paula Gonzalez Avalos
Data Lover, Coach, Manager.
Paula is a Scientist turned Data Scientist by years of integrating statistics, machine learning methods and data wrangling and visualization pipelines while trying to understand science. In a similar way, in a continuous effort to improve science communication, with a strong sense of design and enjoyment of public speaking, she has become an expert in data visualization, visual presentation and storytelling.
She loves to teach and now I mostly manage teams.
She is also sometimes draw science comics: https://github.com/pga99/comics
Sebastian Unterreitmeier
With a background in business administration, Sebastian Unterreitmeier has spent more than 20 years advising on strategic people topics. Since 2016, the focus has been on future capabilities and skills in organizations, particularly in the context of strategic and technological change such as AI. Sebastian Unterreitmeier is part of Mercer’s global Center of Excellence on AI and plays a leading role in advancing the practical application of AI in everyday work at Mercer Germany.
Silvia Hänig
Silvia Hänig is an entrepreneur, strategic communications advisor, and founder of iKOM, her own consultancy for strategic communication and people advisory. She works with leaders from tech & professional services companies in the DACh region and internationally (i.e. NTT Data, Tesla, Microsoft, Hays, John Deere), helping them communicate effectively in complex environments like restructuring, transformation and change. Silvia brings extensive leadership experience and a strong track record of guiding decision-makers through change with clarity, credibility, and strategic focus. Her work has been recognized with multiple professional awards. Beyond consulting, she is also a lecturer, author, angel investor, and a strong advocate for leadership and communication that creates lasting impact.
Dr. Kristian Rother
Kristian is a freelance Python trainer who wrote his first lines of Python in the year 11111001111. After a career writing software for life science research, he has been teaching Python, Data Analysis and Machine Learning throughout Europe since 2011. More recently, he has built data pipelines for the real estate and medical sector.
Kristian has translated 5 Python books and written 2 more himself, in addition to numerous teaching guides. Kristian has collected 364 stars on Advent of Code. His favorite Python module is 're'. Kristian believes everybody can learn programming.
