{"id":76508,"date":"2026-02-04T19:34:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T22:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/889445209"},"modified":"2026-02-04T19:34:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T22:34:44","slug":"swatch-on-ai-dada-individuality-playful-provocation-and-why-technology-still-needs-a-human-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/04\/swatch-on-ai-dada-individuality-playful-provocation-and-why-technology-still-needs-a-human-hand\/","title":{"rendered":"Swatch on AI-DADA, individuality, playful provocation, and why technology still needs a human hand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swatch<\/a> has always treated technology as something playful rather than intimidating, and Carlo Giordanetti has been central to that mindset. As Swatch Creative Director, he\u2019s spent decades exploring how design, art and tech can coexist without losing their humanity. <\/p>\n

In this interview, he talks to Stuff<\/em> about discovering creativity through the internet age, staying proudly analogue, and why AI-DADA<\/a>, Swatch\u2019s new AI design service, is less about replacing designers and more about celebrating individuality.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> Before we start talking about Swatch and AI-DADA, I\u2019d like to get a sense of you and your relationship with technology. Do you remember the moment you first realised technology could be creative, not just functional?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> Yes. There was definitely a turning point in the late \u201990s. At Swatch, the internet was just beginning, and we had the opportunity to work with MIT, with Nicholas Negroponte and his team. The thinking was that for the internet generation, time itself was going to become a challenge because of time zone differences. So the question was: how do we deal with that? How do we make people\u2019s lives easier?<\/p>\n

Together, they came up with the idea of Internet Time. The day was split into 1,000 units, each called a Beat \u2013 like a heartbeat. We then developed a watch to communicate that, which was, of course, digital. That wasn\u2019t necessarily the natural language of Swatch, since we\u2019re more analogue and traditionally Swiss-made.<\/p>\n

But it became a really interesting exercise. Because it was digital, we could introduce playfulness. It was about answering \u2013 or even anticipating \u2013 a need, while also bringing in something joyful. That\u2019s probably the moment when technology, design and playfulness really came together for me.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> How does technology show up in your everyday life now? Are you fully plugged in? Smart lights, electric car?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> My car is the epitome of vintage. I think I\u2019m a mix, and that probably has a lot to do with my generation.<\/p>\n

I like to experiment, and I love my relationship with contemporary art and artists \u2013 especially young artists and new languages. But personally, I\u2019m more of an analogue person. I have a friendly relationship with technology. I\u2019m not afraid of it. I embrace it. But it needs to solve problems. It needs to be functional.<\/p>\n

For example, earbuds don\u2019t work for me. I\u2019m too curious about what\u2019s happening around me, and I\u2019m afraid I\u2019ll miss something. I\u2019m also a big talker \u2013 I\u2019m often on the phone or listening to music, which I love.<\/p>\n

At the same time, am I often connected? Yes. I\u2019m very curious. Social media lets you discover things you might never otherwise encounter.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also been a very heavy user of paper. Magazines, especially. I used to travel with literal kilogrammes of them.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Stuff:<\/em> As someone who writes for a magazine, that\u2019s good to hear.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> Absolutely. I do it a little less today, unfortunately, but it\u2019s still my weekend pleasure.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> Are there other hobbies or obsessions that feed into your creativity?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> Definitely art. I spend a lot of time visiting exhibitions and museums, and travelling to see them. I\u2019m also responsible for Swatch\u2019s artist residency programme, which has existed since 2011. That ongoing dialogue with artists is incredibly important.<\/p>\n

I also love opera, which is another reason to travel. And I love to cook. And to eat.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> AI is everywhere right now, but a lot of it feels like noise. What genuinely excites you about it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> I think AI is a mirror of your own intelligence. It only really adds value if you\u2019re smarter than it. It\u2019s about asking the right questions and entering into a dialogue.<\/p>\n

I like the idea of educating my AI. But if you don\u2019t ask good questions, you won\u2019t get interesting answers.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> Do you use AI in your creative work?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> Not in the final creative work. For me, that feels like a shortcut. I might use it in preparation or research, or sometimes to help explain an idea during concept development, but never in the final outcome.<\/p>\n

I mostly use it visually rather than for writing. I love writing, and if it\u2019s personal, I take responsibility for it. That has to remain very personal.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s a tool for ideas and concepts, not for finished work.<\/p>\n

\"Custom\"Custom<\/figure>\n

Stuff:<\/em> There\u2019s a lot of fear around AI replacing people and jobs. Is that a misunderstanding?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> I think so. When we launched AI-DADA, some designers panicked and thought they\u2019d be out of a job. That\u2019s silly. The system only works if you feed it with intelligent, meaningful material. If anything, your job becomes harder.<\/p>\n

There may be disruption in some areas, but I believe there will always be a balance. In a high-tech world, the analogue world becomes even more important. People still need human contact.<\/p>\n

Maybe we\u2019ll see fewer food deliveries and more people going back to restaurants, which means more chefs. Technology also allows people to live away from cities, which creates new jobs elsewhere. So yes, there will be adjustment, but I don\u2019t think it will be damaging to society.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/strong><\/em> <\/em>Swatch has always stood for joyful, accessible, slightly rebellious design. Is that something you actively protect?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> Yes. The brand DNA rests on three elements.<\/p>\n

The first is innovation. It\u2019s always happening, often under the radar, and you only see the results occasionally.<\/p>\n

The second is what I call a light-hearted spirit. We\u2019re Swiss, we take quality very seriously. But the language has to make life a little better. It can be provocative, but for a good reason.<\/p>\n

For example, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, the theme was \u2018The spirit of dialogue\u2019, and it was announced that Mr Trump would attend. Our CEO, Mr Hayek, asked AI-DADA to design a watch based on the idea of \u2018Me, myself and I\u2019. We published it in Swiss newspapers as a provocation. It\u2019s not a product you can buy \u2013 even though many people tried.<\/p>\n

The third element is our relationship with artists. They help push us forward and often ask the smartest questions.<\/p>\n

Stuf<\/strong><\/em>f: <\/em>Let\u2019s talk about AI-DADA. What problem were you trying to solve?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> The idea came from our boss. We work with artists and develop collections, but the question was: how do we really know what people want? How do we become even more personal?<\/p>\n

Swatch has always taken pride in reflecting personal taste. When I see someone wearing a Swatch, I smile because it says something about them.<\/p>\n

AI-DADA answers that. But it stays very Swatch, because it\u2019s fed only by the Swatch universe. It\u2019s not open to the wider internet. What we call the DADA-base includes our designs, packaging, communication and artworks. That shapes the language.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s still a mirror of what you ask, but through a Swatch lens. Put five people together and ask the same question, and you\u2019ll get five different answers. That\u2019s the fascination.<\/p>\n

If you enter the same text three times, you\u2019ll never get the same watch twice. That\u2019s great.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> What was your first reaction when you saw AI-DADA generate a watch?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> Honestly, I remember more panic than anything else. Staring at the blank prompt, wondering how to write something without looking like a fool. Then the watch appeared, and I thought, \u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Stuff:<\/em> How does AI-DADA change the relationship between wearer and watch?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> If you design it for yourself and really understand the process, you\u2019ll be incredibly proud. More proud than choosing something off a shelf. It becomes a manifesto of who you are.<\/p>\n

If you design it for someone else, it\u2019s a real test of how well you know them. It could make \u2013 or break \u2013 relationships.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> Are people looking for more personalisation now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> Absolutely. You see it everywhere, from luxury to more affordable brands. Shorter collections, vintage interest, customisation \u2013 it\u2019s all about individuality.<\/p>\n

Even simple things like personalised coffee cups matter. People want objects that feel truly theirs, especially in a digital world where so much is shared and owned collectively.<\/p>\n

Stuff:<\/em> Finally, how do you see AI reshaping creativity in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carlo:<\/em><\/strong> It\u2019s in our hands. If we keep asking good questions, it can be a great help. AI art will be interesting to watch, because artists often show us where experimentation can go.<\/p>\n

We need to get over our fear of it. Stay smarter than it. That\u2019s probably the secret.<\/p>\n

Liked this? How I track sleep and fitness while still being a mechanical watch enthusiast<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… how design, art and tech<\/span> can coexist without losing their … s probably the moment when technology<\/span>, design and playfulness really … a balance. In a high-tech<\/span> world, the analogue world … restaurants, which means more chefs. Technology<\/span> also allows people to live …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76508\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}