Artificial intelligence has made its way into the day-to-day work of managers – no longer just as a subject of media raves, but a viable tool influencing the way decisions are made, teams are managed and processes are optimised. However, AI is not the new boss. And it won’t be for a long time.
Contrary to popular fear, artificial intelligence is not bailing out leaders, but presenting them with new challenges. AI systems can filter candidate applications, assess employee performance, suggest pricing strategies or analyse operational data with a precision that humans cannot achieve. But they can’t understand social context, they don’t feel responsibility and they have no conscience. These are not weaknesses – they are limits that no machine can cross.
AI is not an IT update
The rapid development of AI – especially generative AI – blurring the lines between what is human-made and what is algorithmic, is prompting discussions about the role of leadership in times of technological transformation. But AI is not just another ‘patch’ to corporate systems. It is a learning system that works better and better as it interacts with users – and therein lies its strength.
Unlike the disruptive technologies of the past – electricity, the internet or the steam engine – artificial intelligence does not require physical infrastructure. With the cloud and off-the-shelf API solutions, it can be deployed almost instantly. This is why ChatGPT gained more than 100 million users in 60 days – the fastest in history.
But it is precisely because of this ease of accessibility that AI is sometimes treated as a mere tool. Meanwhile, its presence is changing the rules of the game – from organisational strategies to operations to leadership culture.
Artificial intelligence as a leadership partner
In the everyday life of a leader, AI does not have to be an adversary. It can be a partner – supporting data analysis, suggesting solutions and even taking part in the creation of materials or action scenarios. With one condition: it is the leader who must understand how the technology works and for what purpose he or she is using it.
The key, therefore, is not whether to use AI, but how. Leaders should ensure that AI is used consciously – with a clear understanding that its ‘intelligence’ is based solely on input. And these can sometimes be biased, outdated or just plain wrong.
If a leader does not take responsibility for how AI is trained and applied, he or she will give the field over to a system that, while fast and efficient, does not know the concept of ‘ethical consequences’.
The limits of the algorithm: responsibility, context, intuition
Machines have no consciousness. They do not understand the impact of their actions, they do not consider whether a decision is morally justified. They act on the basis of patterns and statistics – not will or gut feeling. Meanwhile, responsible leadership is precisely the ability to assess the impact of decisions on people, the organisation and the environment.
In a world full of uncertainty, a leader should be able to think scenarioally, adapt strategy to changing conditions and anticipate non-obvious risks. AI can help analyse data, but it will not recognise subtle social or cultural nuances. It will not say ‘something is wrong’ if the data statistically suggests otherwise. It will not sense tension within a team or recognise that a decision – while logical – may be politically destructive.
Data quality is a matter of culture
One of the biggest risks of AI is not algorithm errors, but human errors – poorly prepared data, hidden biases, lack of proper filters. And this is no longer an IT problem – it’s an organisational culture problem.
When a leader uses AI, he cannot wash his hands of responsibility for the input data. He needs to know who prepared them, from what perspective, and how they are verified. This requires a new kind of competence – not only technological, but also ethical and critical thinking.
In the age of AI, a leader cannot just be an expert at managing people. He or she must also be an informed ‘data curator’, asking the right questions: What are we leaving out? Who is being excluded? What values does our system promote?
The leader of the future: a man who knows his tools
The most effective leaders do not treat AI as a competitor, but as a tool – at once powerful and challenging. A well-configured system can act as a trusted collaborator – provided it is run by a human who knows how to use it.
And it is this approach that determines competitive advantage today. Organisations that integrate AI strategically – consciously building processes, structures and culture around this technology – gain a real advantage. Those that treat it as an “add-on to AI” are being left behind. Not because they are being replaced by machines. But because they lose their connection to a world that is changing faster than ever before.
