A Reality Check: Leading in Times of Artificial Intelligence

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Short Description

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is out there, and it is moving fast! But how do we act as leaders in a world with increased AI around us? By exploring a series of concrete cases, this discussion will uncover mindsets and skill-sets needed to lead in the age of algorithms.

Detailed Abstract

The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy and the field of AI has gone through springs and winters since. Recently, a perfect storm has triggered the reemergence of AI: the abundance of digital data, deep learning algorithms, cheap computing power, large investments of major IT players, the cloud infrastructure of the internet, millions of cheap sensors of the Internet of Things (IoT) … AI is stronger than ever, and it’s moving fast!
How do we act as leaders in a world with increased AI around us? For decades, AI has been framed as a ‘man against machine’ competition (e.g. the news heading “IBM Watson Supercomputer Destroys Humans in Jeopardy”). This mindset might not be helpful in the lights of what’s coming: AI promises – or threatens - to be pervasive in all aspects of our lives, automate jobs or part of jobs including creative and management jobs, augment or replace decision making, and be applied in areas we are not even conscious about right now. How does the future of business look like in a world of artificial intelligence? How will AI redefine what it means to be a leader? The questions are out there.
But HR and L&D are silent when it comes to equipping managers with the mindset and skillset to thrive in a world of artificial intelligence. How many leadership development courses mention AI at present? How many managers are open to the idea the nature of their job – and identity – might shift because of AI? While the full effects of AI technology will come in play over the next decades, AI has already started to affect the daily lives of consumers and employees. Experts would put real advances of machines to be able to simulate learning and every other aspect of human intelligence in the 30-50 years range (Muller and Bostrum, 2014). Yet, today our newspapers are full of articles on self-driving cars, insurance experts being replaced by software, and consulting services through AI rather than traditional research approaches.
In this session, we will test boundaries and provide reality checks of how we lead in a world of Artificial Intelligence today. By going over a series of concrete cases participants will uncover the leadership aspects of AI. These mini-cases will provoke discussion on the mindset and skillset to thrive in the age of the algorithm.
Example cases include:
• A vendor approaches you with a workforce planning and development tool that reduces administration of workforce significantly. The unions fear loss of humanity in the workplace and loss jobs. How do you lead in this situation?
• One of the AI powered chatbots on your customer service site came in the news because of language that’s perceived to be racist. How do you react as a manager?
• There is a referendum whether robots should be paying social security just like humans. Where do you stand on this debate?
• You implemented a sales lead software that advises which clients to target and which clients not. After a pilot, you discover that although the software outperforms human judgment of your sales force by 24%, most sales managers ignore the software predictions. How do you lead in this situation?

Participant

• Bert De Coutere, Center for Creative Leadership