In a world increasingly shaped by AI, Jason Fox believes the greatest competitive advantage is distinctly human.

“Creativity is uniquely human,” says Fox, Chief Academic Officer at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). “In an age of technology, that’s increasingly more important.”

Speaking on CEO: Behind the Scenes, Fox argues that curiosity, empathy and intuition are no longer soft skills – they are strategic ones. As automation reshapes industries, the ability to understand an audience, apply judgment and connect ideas across disciplines is becoming essential.

“If you take the three pillars of creativity – curiosity, empathy, a care for the audience – when you take intuition, which uniquely connects curiosity and empathy, those things are uniquely human,” he explains.

In a world driven by repeatable processes, that human layer is where leaders create real differentiation.

At SCAD, that belief is more than philosophy. It is operational.

Fox says its mission comes in three parts. First, to prepare talented students for creative professions. Second, to do so through deeply engaged teaching and learning. And third, to foster a positively oriented university environment that supports both ambition and growth.

That clarity simplifies decision-making.

“If we can connect it to the mission, will it help students earn better jobs? Will it put them in a better position in their careers? Then those are easy decisions to make,” he says.

The outcome is measurable. SCAD reports a 99 percent placement rate within 12 months of graduation. But for Fox, success is about more than numbers. It is about access.

Through SCADpro, the university’s collaborative design studio, students join forces with brands including Netflix, Volvo and Deloitte on real-world briefs. Executives-in-residence from Hermès and Walt Disney Imagineering critique student work and share frontline insight. The experience builds both competence and confidence.

The role of AI

Fox is equally clear-eyed about AI. SCAD recently launched an applied AI degree that requires students to pair the technology with a creative discipline. The structure is intentional: AI should amplify creative thinking, not replace it.

“There is a misrepresentation that there are just a finite number of jobs out there, and once those jobs are taken over by AI, there’ll be no more jobs for humans,” he says.

“The reality is new work. We find new work. We find new processes, and we find new ways to tell stories.”

Rather than asking what AI can do instead of humans, Fox challenges leaders to reframe the question entirely.

“What I think most people are missing about AI instead, what they’re looking for is what can it do that we can do, as opposed to what can we do with it, and how is work going to change with it?” he adds.

For leaders navigating uncertainty, his guidance is steady. Lean into human capability. Stay relentlessly connected to industry. Adapt early, not reactively. And above all, listen.

“Listen and say less,” he says. Surrounded by award-winning faculty and industry veterans, Fox sees leadership not as being the loudest voice in the room but as harnessing collective excellence.

Trust anchors that philosophy.

“I constantly refuse to not trust,” he says. “I think that it’s important for me to lead with trust but also be clear when something hasn’t gone the way I think it should have gone.”

In a future defined by rapid technological change, Fox’s message is both calm and urgent: The organizations that thrive will be those that elevate human creativity, remain mission-focused and lead with trust.

Listen to the latest episode of our CEO: Behind the Scenes podcast with Jason Fox on Amazon, Apple or Spotify.