{"id":19513,"date":"2026-08-06T08:37:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T06:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/ai-in-government-fabian-schmid-appears-on-the-shift-podcast\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T08:43:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T06:43:18","slug":"fabian-schmid-shift-podcast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/fabian-schmid-shift-podcast\/","title":{"rendered":"AI in Government: Fabian Schmid Appears on the \u201cshift\u201d Podcast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you digitize an entire country?<\/h2>\n\n<p>Artificial intelligence and digitalization are transforming not only businesses but also public administrations. But how can new technologies be used responsibly? And how can we strike a balance between innovation, security, and digital sovereignty? In the third episode of \u201cshift \u2013 Das Signal im Rausche\u201d, Balz Z\u00fcrrer speaks with Fabian Schmid, Director of the Liechtenstein Office of Information Technology, about AI in government, new ways of working, and the technological future of an entire country.   <\/p>\n\n\r\n<div style=\"text-align:center;padding:15px 0 29px 0;\">\r\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/033PfO15H2YOis98RUhIme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px; background-image:linear-gradient(90deg,#980043 0%,#281923 100%); color:#ffffff; font-family:&#039;Open Sans&#039;,sans-serif;font-weight:700;font-style:italic; font-size:16px;line-height:1;text-decoration:none; padding:14px 28px; border-radius:10px 0 10px 10px;\">\r\n    <svg viewbox=\"0 0 168 168\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" fill=\"currentColor\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\r\n      <path d=\"M84 0a84 84 0 1 0 0 168A84 84 0 0 0 84 0zm38.5 121.2a5.2 5.2 0 0 1-7.2 1.7c-19.7-12-44.5-14.8-73.7-8.1a5.2 5.2 0 1 1-2.3-10.2c31.9-7.3 59.4-4.2 81.5 9.3a5.2 5.2 0 0 1 1.7 7.3zm10.3-22.9a6.5 6.5 0 0 1-9 2.2C101.2 86.7 66.8 82.6 40.1 90.7a6.6 6.6 0 1 1-3.8-12.5c30.5-9.3 68.4-4.8 94.4 11.1a6.5 6.5 0 0 1 2.1 9zm.9-23.8C106.7 58.4 62 56.9 36.2 64.7a7.8 7.8 0 1 1-4.5-15C61.3 40.7 110.5 42.5 141.7 61a7.8 7.8 0 0 1-8 13.5z\"><\/path>\r\n    <\/svg>\r\n Listen now and subscribe\r\n  <\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe hcb-fetch-image-from=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Jh17NHQiiG8?si=qwYUJyM5VytyAljM\" title=\"#3 shift | Fabian Schmid \u00fcber AI in der Verwaltung, digitale Souver\u00e4nit\u00e4t und den Wandel der Arbeit\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jh17NHQiiG8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Check out the third episode of our podcast \u201cshift \u2013 Das Signal im Rauschen\u201d with Fabian Schmid here.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From major international corporations to state government<\/h2>\n\n<p>Fabian Schmid has been working at the intersection of business, technology, and transformation for many years. Prior to his current role, he held international management, digital transformation, and project management positions, including at Credit Suisse and Holcim. <\/p>\n\n<p>Today, he heads the Office of Information Technology for the Liechtenstein Government. What particularly fascinates him about this role is the extraordinary breadth of the requirements: While companies often focus on specific products or business processes, a country\u2019s IT department must provide solutions for numerous different agencies and subject areas. The spectrum ranges from cross-departmental identity and access services to specialized applications.  <\/p>\n\n<p>This diversity brings with it a high degree of complexity. At the same time, Liechtenstein\u2019s manageable size makes it possible to implement selected solutions in a focused and relatively quick manner. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI Needs Focus, Not Endless Lists of Ideas<\/h2>\n\n<p>New AI models, applications, and tools are appearing at ever-shorter intervals. For a smaller organization, it is neither practical nor possible to keep up with every development in real time. Fabian Schmid therefore describes the Liechtenstein government as a kind of \u201csmart follower\u201d: it observes which approaches prove successful, selects suitable elements, and then implements them in a targeted manner.  <\/p>\n\n<p>The focus is on specific use cases. Instead of compiling ever-longer lists of potential use cases, individual solutions should actually be implemented and evaluated for their benefits. The key factor is whether a process can be made more efficient, a task can be better supported, or a new service can be made possible.  <\/p>\n\n<p>Simply providing a license is not enough. Employees must be supported, trained, and introduced to the new possibilities through concrete examples. The implementation of technology and changes in work practices are therefore inextricably linked.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Podcast_Schmid_Total-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19498\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/Podcast_Schmid_Total-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.online.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/Podcast_Schmid_Total-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.online.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/Podcast_Schmid_Total-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.online.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/Podcast_Schmid_Total-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.online.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/Podcast_Schmid_Total-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Balz Z\u00fcrrer (left) talking with Fabian Schmid (right).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Work Will Change<\/h2>\n\n<p>For Fabian Schmid, it is clear that today\u2019s jobs in IT and administration will be transformed by AI. It is not so much a matter of jobs disappearing entirely. Rather, tasks, roles, and the required skills will shift.  <\/p>\n\n<p>This shift is already particularly evident in software development today. In the future, developers may write less code themselves and increasingly take on the roles of orchestrators, quality assurance specialists, and technical translators. Requirements, architecture, security, and the interpretation of results will remain central to this process.  <\/p>\n\n<p>Even outside the field of computer science, employees will have to learn to work with AI and further develop their own roles. For Fabian Schmid, it is important that people not only observe this change but also actively help shape it. <\/p>\n<div class=\"onbox bd-8dwgmcafrddrnrh06cfj9rt76o6oet wp-block-bd--- wp-block-bd-block-1375 bd-resizeobserve\"><p class=\"bd-0yf56vja20h0ixeh5qo1bjqsdxrcsj\">&#8220;It is important that everyone understands that change is taking place and that people must and can be part of that change.&#8221;<\/p><p class=\"bd-tm1tjrn4bjl3j4e9ftard2js1tnvo8\">Fabian Schmid<\/p><p class=\"bd-3rekxr7mpfb5v8uosfop4fte9192pf\">Head of the Liechtenstein Information Technology Office<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digital sovereignty is not a simple either\/or question<\/h2>\n\n<p>Another key topic of the discussion is digital sovereignty. For public administrations in particular, the question arises as to which data and applications can be operated in the cloud and which require special protection. <\/p>\n\n<p>Liechtenstein uses Microsoft 365 as its collaboration platform. Confidential and classified information, as well as key line-of-business applications, are, however, hosted in the country\u2019s own data centers. In this way, the national government pursues a differentiated, risk-based approach that is guided by the level of protection required for the respective data.  <\/p>\n\n<p>For Fabian Schmid, switching to open-source solutions would not automatically be cheaper or more secure. In addition to the applications themselves, factors such as integration, maintenance, support, security, and training would need to be taken into account. Instead of a single provider, numerous different contractual partners might be required. The discussion therefore cannot be reduced solely to licensing costs or the origin of a technology.   <\/p>\n\n<p>Digital sovereignty is therefore ultimately also a strategic and political decision. It has value, but it requires appropriate investment and a realistic assessment of the operational consequences. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listen to the third episode of \u201cshift\u201d now<\/h2>\n\n<p>The interview with Fabian Schmid offers practical insights into the digital transformation of public administration. It covers the responsible use of AI, the selection of specific use cases, changing job roles, as well as the cloud, open source, and digital sovereignty. <\/p>\n\n<p>The third episode of \u201cshift \u2013 Das Signal im Rauschen\u201d is now available on <a href=\"https:\/\/spotifycreators-web.app.link\/e\/4KCt3EPJl5b\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/spotifycreators-web.app.link\/e\/i6WIwufsa5b\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spotify<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Jh17NHQiiG8?si=qwYUJyM5VytyAljM\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Jh17NHQiiG8\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do you digitize an entire country? Artificial intelligence and digitalization are transforming not only businesses but also public administrations. But how can new technologies be used responsibly? And how can we strike a balance between innovation, security, and digital sovereignty? In the third episode of \u201cshift \u2013 Das Signal im Rausche\u201d, Balz Z\u00fcrrer speaks [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":19497,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai-en","category-about-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19513"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19515,"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19513\/revisions\/19515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.online.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}